


The College Experience

by marsnmango



Category: Royal Servant (Manhwa)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Attempt at Humor, Eventual Smut, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I'll sail this ship by myself if I have to, Logan is a doofus, Lust, M/M, Pining, Porn With Plot, Possessive Behavior, Ryan is a reliable friend, Teacher-Student Relationship, everything is fine, obviously
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-27
Updated: 2017-09-15
Packaged: 2018-12-20 11:38:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 25,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11920083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marsnmango/pseuds/marsnmango
Summary: His friend is a drunk, the guidance counselor is a babysitter, his ex is petty and he wants his professor. Kyon's college experience... is a rough one.-“The other day, I spent fifteen minutes arguing with a student who thought that he could smuggle beer onto campus using a baguette. Then he tried to buy my silence, with the baguette. Isn’t that youthful?”  —Ryan, who needs a rest.





	1. Chapter 1

This troublesome, weak-willed constitution of his only truly became a burden when he enrolled in Mr. Selvior's biweekly lecture. This intolerant, disciplined man was his professor, who possessed the type of malice that enabled him to construct a seven-paged syllabus, littered from head to toe with expectations and course work. A recluse with too much free time on his hands, is what it essentially boiled down to. Someone who couldn't be bothered with the adventurous spirit of youthful university students, and yet…

When their hands touched, it burnt as if he'd ignited a flame, but the only part of him that was seared was his pride, which crumbled just a little bit each day that he was forced to avoid that man's eyes; as he struggled to sit still, needy and restless as if he were no better than a horny brat of junior high.

Therein lied his problem: He was by no means a child, and yet he was irrationally, but irrefutably, attracted to his professor. His body and mind aching to be noticed, to the point where it interfered with his ability to concentrate.

It couldn't be helped, though. Who would concentrate with the object of their admiration in front of him? And that's what he tried to justify it with, admiration. But he admired a lot of people: Ryan, the guidance counselor. Cecilia, the faculty alumni that graduated with honors in previous years. But his stomach didn't churn at the thought of conversing with these people like it did with that person.

"Logan…" he dipped his head in his hands mournfully, "I don't know what to do. I don't understand why I'm feeling this way or how to make it stop! What am I supposed to do?!"

Logan, his dear friend who was kind enough to struggle through this labyrinth of campus life with him, offered his sincerest pat on the shoulder. "Dude… You've got it bad, I…"

There was silence between them. As Kyon looked up, he expected pity, but.

"That's hilarious! Oh, God. This is too good." he doubled over from his laughter, pounding so rapidly on his table that the bartender mistakenly interpreted his gesture as impatience. "To think that you'd go for the brooding, silent type? I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

He apologized without the slightest apologetic bone in his body. Kyon, who had expected as much, let out a deep sigh as he turned away from him. "This is serious! If he ever found out about this, I… Actually I don't want to know." He was attractive, but scary. He gave off the impression of someone who wouldn't hesitate to resort to expulsion, given the right circumstances. This creepy little fixation of his probably met that criteria, too.

"Don't be too worried," assured Logan, who took his shoulder as he momentarily canned his laughter, "You're just the type of person who likes to be dominated! That's all. And knowing Lucaon, he likes to dominate, so… Good luck!"

I… really can't tell if you're joking. Nevertheless, he brushed Logan's hand off of him.

"Honestly, though." he took a long swig of his refilled glass of water and for once counted his blessings that he couldn't afford the good stuff. How else would he cherish his friend's distress? "I didn't think you'd be interested in someone again, after what happened. Must be pretty hot."

"That's the thing," Kyon argued, "I still haven't forgotten that night. It still causes trouble for me, so I don't understand how I could possibly…!"

Logan interrupted him with his laughter, followed by a dismissive wave. "You just have a thing for guys with bad personalities."

He lowered his head in his hands and hit the table until his forehead had practically become one with it. It was at this point that he was forced to concede, "You… You may actually be right, I can't believe it."

"Woah, really?" but he only revelled in this new sensation for a moment longer. "Oh, is that Ryan over there? Hey, Ryan! Mr. Ryan, this way!"

Kyon turned his head, but refused to sit up, lest Ryan catch hold of us inner gloom, which would surely happen. But sure enough, their guidance-giving friend was approaching them with his usual charm, and a friend at his side.

"Hey, you two." he nodded towards his friend, who was rather flashy for an adult. "You've met Sihan, right?"

Kyon hadn't had the pleasure of taking one of his classes, on the contrary, but Logan appeared to be acquainted with him. Although everyone on campus had at least heard of him, due to the 'mysterious nature of his charms' being a widespread phenomena throughout the ladies.

"Nice to meet you." Kyon sat up solely to show respect. He offered with nothing but the sincerest intent to be polite, "Should I buy you both a drink?"

But Ryan had to stop him, quickly, before he could call the bartender. "No, Sihan. If you feed him, you must take responsibility for him." He was referring to Logan, the disappointed little leech who'd come so close to scoring free booze off of some poor sap. Ryan, of course, spoke from experience.

Sihan laughed. "Nice to meet you! I don't believe I've had the pleasure of lecturing you, before." he was, of course, referring to Kyon who had yet to enroll in one of his classes. As he greeted him with a smile, he paused.

It seemed like he was staring, which made Kyon self conscious. "Is… something wrong?"

"Nah, it's nothing. Anyway, I heard you signed up for one of Lucaon's classes this semester, right? Good luck."

He couldn't help but wonder where he'd heard that from, and looked towards Ryan, who didn't look the least bit shameful. "Sorry, but news about Lucaon's students tends to travel fast. You guys are a rare commodity, you know? Those of you that actually last, at least."

"But what does…"

Logan decided to say it straightforwardly, since those two were beating around the bush. "Lucaon is notorious for being unsociable, especially towards his students. And the syllabus is so long, with such ridiculous policies, that it makes them feel as though they're still in high school. Of course normal people would drop a class like that! But then again..." he scrutinized Kyon closely, with a face that was very punchable.

Kyon didn't take the bait, though, and his elder overseers were rather proud. Ryan especially, who understood this burden. "Don't worry about what anyone else says."

"Right, and don't worry about what Lucaon says, either. Because he will say some mean things."

"And though he might make a grumpy face every now and then, he's a good guy!"

"Just don't speak out of turn and definitely don't interrupt him."

"Showing up late is no good either, okay? That syllabus seems extensive, but there are actually some pretty helpful tips in there if you want to survive his class, so read it carefully!" Ryan advised happily, though he'd unwittingly hammered yet another nail into Kyon's coffin of stress.

The defeated kid rose from his seat and placed his gratuity on the table, where the bartender, or his servers, would definitely see it. "Right… Thanks for the advice, you guys." He assumed they had good intentions, at least. "Anyways, it's about time for me to get going. I have a seminar in the morning, so…"

"That's what you get for choosing morning classes," Logan judged him harshly. "Shame on you."

"Good night." he retorted bitterly, offering a wave to his mentors and somehow-friend on his way out.

"Drink responsibly." Ryan reminded Logan kindly as he ruffled his hair, parting ways with Sihan at his side, making their way to a table on the distant side of the bar.

Sihan was the first to bring it up as they took their seats, and accepted their complimentary glasses of water. "If it's someone like Kyon, even Lucaon might get along with him."

Ryan laughed, absently swirling his glass in his hand. "Right? Kyon's a beauty, isn't he?"

He hummed in acknowledgement. However, "My Karis is definitely better, though."

* * *

He tried to absorb what Logan had said about his bad personality. The other students were uncomfortable, of course they were. That's why his class was one of the most silent he'd ever experienced, even for a lecture. And Lucaon's unapproachable nature was not only confirmation that they'd never speak on pleasant terms, but furthermore that any such infatuation he had with this person was ludicrous.

So why, he wondered, did he have to want this man's attention? To avoid Lucaon at all costs was a general rule of thumb, that much was apparent as of the third official week of the seminar. And yet, every slight bit of eye contact wracked his nerves. It made him hyper aware of not only Lucaon's eyes, but every other pair of eyes in the room, who would surely think him mad if they ever caught a glimpse of the atrocious cravings going on in his mind.

No—rather, he'd die before he let that happen. He'd take this secret to the grave if he had to.

Still, though. It didn't mean he couldn't keep his dirty secret locked up in his mind, where he was free to watch Lucaon all day long if he wanted to. At the expense of his pride, sure, but at least he'd be able to admire the shirt he wore that day, the jeans that fit his body just right, the shape of his muscles through his black button-up. It exposed just the right amount of his neck, too, and—

Wait. What page are we on? He frantically flipped through his textbook and tried to find the page. Did it even matter? He couldn't tell if the others were following along or keeping their heads down solely to avoid trouble. Still, though, to be the only one flipping through it, felt a bit…

"Kyon." Dozens of heads turned to look up at the man, standing front and center with his arms folded in mild disapproval. His head tilted slightly, "Pay attention."

His brain drew a blank, entering a whole new state of panic as he frantically searched for the correct page. It was written on the board; that much he could see. But it didn't stop him from feeling mortified.

He saw that? Oh, God…

It was, perhaps, the longest and most agonizing lecture he'd ever had the misfortune of sitting through thus far, but it was not the last. Because he'd repeated a similar blunder during the lecture thereafter, later in the week. And it was clumsy enough to accomplish two things.

Firstly, looking like a fool in front of his colleagues. Secondly, and most excruciatingly, kick-dropping his high average in the class. And for this, he knew he'd receive no mercy. He'd studied the syllabus front and back, and there was no hope for him. But whether he liked it or not…

Lucaon's office hours were readily available after class, always at the disposal of his students who rarely used them (because the less they saw of this professor, the better). But here Kyon was, sticking his hand into the dragon's mouth by waiting at the door until he could manage the confidence to knock.

When he did, of course he received a low but affirmative "Come in." that felt more like an order than an invitation, and of course he entered the room with his head hung low. His bag weighed him down like an anchor, but he clutched it tightly.

"Sir… I'm sorry to bother you, but…" he hesitated. How was he to begin? Was there even a point in begging, at this point? Thankfully, Lucaon had yet to look up from his paperwork; a blessing in disguise, considering he thought his knees might crumble if they made eye contact. "I…"

"Is this about the notes you missed," he guessed without an ounce of hesitation in his voice. "If that's it, then get them from a partner. It's your own fault for not paying attention."

The impatience in his tone caused him to flinch. He knew this would happen, but it was still far more painful than he cared to admit. Even so, he…

Lucaon was coming closer. Without any sort of warning, he'd left his seat and was coming closer. Why? Why is he-

His hand brushed his shoulder, muttering in that same low voice, "Kyon." in such a way that it almost sounded like a growl, sending an immense shiver down his spine that caused his whole body to…

He was red in the face. He must have been, and if that man came any closer, he'd definitely die. He pulled away suddenly, "I… I'm sorry! I have to go." and proceeded to grab his bag. Without even bothering to properly secure it, he burst through the door and briskly carried himself elsewhere, where he could be ashamed in peace.

Logan and Kyon indulged in their evening ritual, except this time, they were both drinking. And the stuff wasn't great, but it would get them drunk if they could just manage to splurge on enough bottled. But so far, with a bottle split between them, Kyon was only tipsy and Logan was halfway gone. Though, he had definitely poured himself his 'fair' share of the bottle.

"So let me get this straight…" he tapped the table repeatedly, once again, confusing the bartender. "He touched you; like, a little nudge on the shoulder, like this." he demonstrated briefly, though he tapped quite a bit harder than he intended, "And you ran from him? Ohh, Kyon…"

"I… What else was I supposed to do?!" he frantically downed his glass and refilled it without hesitation, longing to forget this conversation before it even began. "If I had stayed, I… Who knows what I would have said. Who knows what he was going to say?! Oh, God. If he kicks me out of his class, I…"

Logan gave him a reassuring pat on the head as he slumped against the counter, "Since you've already come this far… Maybe the best solution is," his less-than-sober wit prevented him from uttering this with a straight face: "Give him a present. On valentine's day, and then… A-And then… Agh, I can't! I can't! This is too much, my sides. My poor sides!" he burst out with immense laughter. Not only startling the servers, but several other guests as well.

Kyon hit him, and rightfully so. While Logan was nursing his likely broken nose, Kyon rewarded himself with another drink. Such were the fruits of a rather peaceful night, in which Kyon tried to confide in Logan and failed miserably because… Well, in the end, it was Logan. But the booze helped, a lot.

However. No amount of booze in the world could have prepared him for the sound of multiple footsteps, followed by that dreaded voice he'd hoped he could avoid… just a bit longer.

"Hello, Kyon. It's been awhile."

Dread was a sobering feeling, but his head spun in spite of it.

"...Pardon?"

* * *

"I'm sorry to hear that you're having a hard time getting your students to pay attention," Ryan patted Lucaon's shoulder briefly. "But to be honest, it'd help if you were a bit… nicer. Don't get me wrong, I can see why you want to keep those kids at a distance, but you'll scare away your best kids if you aren't careful!"

"...It makes no difference to me." he decided, manning a steady pace alongside Ryan as they traversed the city streets. It was quite late, but Ryan had successfully roped him into drinks; something much often easier said than done.

"Well, consider yourself lucky that you only have to deal with a handful of students!" he sighed deeply "The other day, I spent fifteen minutes arguing with a student who thought that he could smuggle beer onto campus using a baguette. Then he tried to buy my silence, with the baguette. Isn't that youthful?"

Lucaon had nothing to say about it, though he appeared to be listening.

"Anyways, I just think that-Oof!" he clutched his stomach, having nearly had all the wind knocked out of him in one go, and immediately prepared to tell the offender off, but— "Speak of the devil. Logan? Watch where-"

Logan seemed to have upset his balance quite a bit by bumping into Ryan, and clung to his arm for dear life. It seemed like he was merely trying to keep himself steady, but the franticness in his voice was… off putting, to say the least. "It's… Kyon. It's… S'rry, I'm drunk. But. Kyon. It's Kyon and there're… Waaay too many gays, wait, guys. That too, but…!"

"Slow down." he gripped his shoulders tightly and forced his little brain to rattle itself back into the center of his head. "What about Kyon?"

If Lucaon turned to look, it was merely because the nuisance was furthermore proving his initial sentiments that going out for a drink would be too troublesome.

The kid tried to compose himself, but he was gasping for air far too long. However, he did eventually manage to point to the block ahead, "Bar… The bar. I left him at the bar. Gotta go back, but… Ugh-" the way he clutched his stomach implied that 'concern' was not the only thing churning his stomach.

There were more important matters to worry about, but Ryan firmly planted Logan between the bushes, "Get it out of your system and-"

"Edwin. It's definitely Edwin's guys." he struggled to manage those words, then immediately doubled over to soil the bush.

With unprecedented urgency, Ryan turned away from him. "And you left him there?! You idiot, I-" he regained his composure quickly. "Lucaon, sorry about this, but I may be on a manhunt from hereon out."

"This is about Kyon, right?" he sounded calm, despite the urgency between the two, "It'll be easier if I help you look."

"Great!" Ryan was already heading towards the bar, with Lucaon following close behind. "Sorry about this, by the way. I didn't think we'd have to handle something like this so suddenly."

He didn't seem to mind. Or at the very least, his silence implied that he didn't care enough to complain, and he'd take his wins where he could get them.

As they entered the bar, Ryan immediately suggested that they split up. "We'll cover more ground that way. And anyways, he's hard to miss. I can count on you, right?"

Lucaon nodded, though he wasn't sure why Ryan had even felt the need to ask.

Kyon.. Truly, he was a person that was very hard to miss. Between his strange behavior and his pale appearance, he was the type of person who stayed on the brain. He scanned the club up and down for any sign of him, or any indication that something was out of the ordinary. Like a crowd, or a mess, but…

The possibility that it was just a shitty prank crossed his mind as well, but he caught sight of the back exit being used. That in itself was suspicious, considering it opened up into an alleyway where little other than trash and the fire escape were present.

He followed the figure, going through great pains to push past several people with as little inconvenience as possible, before things got really troublesome. It was easy enough: his demeanor alone deterred interference and when the door opened—

—there was absolutely nothing noteworthy. Except for Kyon's slumped over body, propped against the wall as if he had passed out. Finding it especially strange that the 'troublesome' bunch had already moved alone, he knelt down and inspected Kyon for any serious injuries.

Again, there was nothing to note. Although… he certainly looked out of it. "Kyon." he urged his bangs out of his eyes, though it didn't help since he would not look up. "Kyon." he repeated, somewhat wary that he'd actually passed out-

He was roused, eventually, and opened his eyes long enough to look up at Lucaon and… stare. That was really all he seemed capable of doing, and his eyes were dilated far beyond what was reasonable.

He's drunk. That much was obvious.

"Are you alright?" He brushed Kyon's hair behind his ear, and felt his fingers lingering at his cheek. It was evident that he was covered in something, and given the smell, it was likely alcoholic. As he motioned to pull away, Kyon leaned into his touch—nuzzling his palm as if it were a sweet caress.

It was obvious that he should have moved, immediately, and let the kid be. But something possessed him to allow his hand to linger-

"Kyon!" -Until the door swung open, loudly, and he retracted his hand as if he'd just touched a hot stove.

It was Ryan, evidently relieved and frantic all at once. He knelt by Kyon who seemed to be coming to his senses a bit more adequately, now. "Kyon. Are you- Kyon? What are you covered in?" it wasn't hard to miss, the somewhat sticky substance that soiled his clothes, and his hair.

"Alcohol…" he blinked himself awake, seemingly slightly more coherent now. "Ryan..?"

"What did they do to you? Are you hurt anywhere?" he inspected Kyon for injuries, but there was nothing noteworthy. No blood, no bruises that the naked eye could see (and Kyon's body was the type to surely bruise easily), therefore no emergency.

"They… just said the usual." he confirmed "Then they poured a bottle on me."

"I can tell. You reek of alcohol… Just how much did you drink, tonight?" Most of the stench was explainable, but sober eyes weren't so wide or spacey.

"Dunno… Uh, less than Logan…" he looked around for his friend, but found that focusing on Ryan was easiest.

"I could have told you that." he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck tiredly. "You guys really know how to scare someone. Isn't it common sense to stick together when something like this, happens?"

"I didn't want… Logan to get involved. S-Sorry…" he admitted sheepishly.

Ryan helped him to his feet and slung an arm over his shoulder, just in case. "That's idiotic, Kyon. You know better than that… Now just wait patiently while I call a cab for you both. Geez, didn't I tell you to drink responsibly?!" with another groan, he consulted Lucaon once more, "Would you mind…?"

He complied, watching with some strange mix of emotions while his student was hobbled off. He made the phone call while he followed Ryan close behind, who grumbled some mess about getting too old for such things. And as he shoved the two off into the first taxi that arrived, with a tip for the driver's impending troubles, he left them with one last command. "Get home safely, and don't cause anymore trouble tonight!"

That was pretty much the last of it. The cab drove off with the brats in the back, leaving Ryan and Lucaon to wash their hands of the mess as they headed inside to enjoy the bar properly.

* * *

Ryan wasn't perfectly satisfied with that night's resolution, but he was doing his best to ensure that he'd at least enjoy a few rounds with Lucaon. Lucaon, of course, was uncomfortable but doing his best to hide it; such was how it usually went when he was dragged out to drinks. But at the very least, he seemed somewhat more attentive than usual, and had managed thirty minutes or so without bringing up work.

That alone was impressive, but Ryan was even more shocked when he asked, of his own volition, "...That mess from before. Does that usually happen?"

Ryan took a well deserved swig of his drink. "Not really, though it happens more often than it should, if you ask me."

"What was it?" his eyes were furrowed with curiosity. That's all it was; curiosity.

"Huh…" Ryan tapped the edge of his glass a few times, inadvertently alerting the bartender as he tried to formulate the best answer. "Bullying, I suppose? Though that's unusual at this age. So I'd call it… 'youthful drama'." He said that with a smile, but in truth, the ordeal was troubling and it showed in his tense shoulders.

"Those were students?"

"The ones who attacked Kyon? Uh… Good question. Maybe, but probably not."

The look he gave Ryan was enough to tell him that he wasn't satisfied with such a half-assed answer.

He clarified, "Well…" he sighed "In actuality, things happened between Kyon and an upperclassman during his first year here. That guy is an alumni now, but due to his large 'circle' of… supporters, Kyon will occasionally be troubled by those types of people. You'll have to get the rest from Kyon directly, but let's just say that… university parties are quite scary when you're young, you know?"

Lucaon said nothing and sipped his drink.

Ryan interpreted this as a good opportunity to tease him. "You're awfully curious for someone who doesn't like to get involved with student affairs, aren't you? Go on, it's fine to admit it."

"Shut it. I just wanted to know whether or not it was worth the inconvenience."

"Good question." Ryan leaned on the bar and considered this thoroughly. Then decided with a slight laugh, "I suppose it wasn't. It'd be great if we, as humans, didn't have to sweat this stuff at all, right? Though, I guess it's thanks to this that Kyon and I became so close in the first place? Think of it like 'conflict prevention'!"

"I don't care." he insisted. Even if it didn't wipe that shitty smile off of Ryan's punchable face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Porn has been promised porn shall be delivered


	2. Chapter 2

Kyon let out a sigh. "I'm sorry, again, for what happened that night." He was in the process of accompanying his roommate to school, after a long weekend of recuperation. "I can't even remember most of it… I must have caused so much trouble..!"

"What, you think  _you_ can't remember anything? I thought I was in Dubai until you woke me up. Which, by the way, I'm still angry about! Do you know how long it'll take to score a trip overseas?!"

"You… No, never mind that." he shook his head, "Actually, trouble I caused is the least of my worries… Lucaon, he was there, right?"

"Pretty sure. Or it was a hot-body bikini model. Wait, no, different dream. Go on."

"Logan, I'm not talking about your dream!" he nudged him with his foot, but Logan was much harder to trip when he was sober.

"So? It's not like you pulled your clothes off and performed tabletop karaoke."

"I'm not you. And the problem is…" he slowed his steps, suddenly overcome with dread as the entrance approached. " _How_ am I supposed to face him now?! I definitely said something stupid..! What if I… Oh, God. What if I confessed?!"

Logan seemed to be giving his predicament some serious consideration. Until he mockingly imitated Kyon and said, "Professor! I'll do  _anything_ for a good grade in this class, so be sure to hold me tightly- _Ack!_ "

He was hit immediately. "Will you knock it off?!"

They continued onto campus without hesitation, for the most part. Or rather, Logan was his usual confident self and Kyon seemed about ready to dive headfirst off a cliff if it meant avoiding the potential repercussions of his actions. And Logan couldn't blame him, either.

Lucaon was a scary man, according to the reputation he had with most of his former students. The accounts from those who dropped his class were generally far more exaggerated, but even the ones who stayed said there was little enjoyment to be had by being around the man. He was an expert in his field, but a total social dud. The man walked like he was waiting to be catered, like a man who was secretly an indisputable master back home, wherever that may have been, if not hell.

"Hey." he perked up, suddenly. "Over there, isn't that Lucaon, chatting with professor Icarve?"

"Where…?" he looked up, somewhat expecting an immature prank. But sure enough, they were having a chat by the benches and looked picturesque, to an almost infuriating degree. "Wait, you call Sihan by his title, but…"

"Eh, I've never taken Lucaon's class. Never will. I'm not that dumb!" he laughed, playfully swatting Kyon's shoulder.

The sentiments were not reciprocated. Then, as if Kyon weren't already  _this close_ to killing him…

"Hey, professor Icarve! How's it going?" he waved, but before he could run up and join them like the utter idiot he was, Kyon grabbed his arm.

"What are you doing?!"

"I'm just trying to get along with my professor!" the face he made was a blatant attempt at a pout, but in actuality, he was just having trouble keeping a straight face.

"You... You're not even taking his class, this semester. We are  _not-_ "

"Uh-oh. Don't look now." he nudged his attention towards the forming crowd, and in the center of it, a tall and familiar figure that brought a sour taste to their mouths. Naturally, the posse consisted of young women and a handful of men; some were alumni, but the majority appeared to be students.

"We should probably walk the other way." he decided, pushing Kyon in the opposite direction who looked understandably upset.

However… someone with an even bigger mouth than Logan had spotted them. "Hey- Logan, Kyon! Good to see you—"

Several heads were turned, including the one head that they really,  _really_ wanted to avoid. So Logan decidedly grabbed Kyon's arm in order to bolt the hell  _out_ of the commons area. Sure, it wasn't the most suave method of escape, but it certainly did its job where it needed to.

They must have covered half of a full mile, given the amount of unnecessary twists and turns they made throughout several buildings and structures. They did not stop until they barely recognized their lefts from their rights and were practically out of breath. They sought refuge behind a shaded tree and took their rest.

Kyon, who was doubled over from the running pains, clutched his sides mournfully. "Great… Just...great." he took several deep breaths. "Now he's going to think that I'm avoiding him.  _I want to die._ "

"Don't worry, buddy. I've got your back!" Though Logan feigned endurance, his sides were burning and he broke his facade with an unpleasant wheeze. "Shit…! Need.. to stop drinking. Ah, gonna throw up." he ducked behind a bush.

Kyon fell against the tree, perhaps trying to become it. But alas. "And anyway, what's  _he_ doing here?! I  _really_ don't want to see his face right now…"

"Well, think of it this way…" he took Kyon's shoulder. It seemed like a supportive gesture, but he was just trying to steady himself after regurgitating a fraction of his body. "If Lucaon kills you, you never have to deal with Edwin's crew again!"

Class was just one big blur after that; he couldn't concentrate at all. He was distracted, tense, winded, perhaps a bit too dumbly lovestruck and wanted nothing more than to be done with the whole situation. To his pleasant surprise, Lucaon hardly even made eye contact with him throughout the entirety of the lecture. Although being ignored was a different kind of pain, the less scrutiny, the better.

Still. No matter how hard he wracked his brain, he couldn't recall  _anything_ about what he had said to Lucaon, whether or not he'd actually said anything at all  _or_ how that night ended. The only thing he recalled was logan toppling over once they reached the front steps of their apartment and the gentle touch of Lucaon's hands on his face. If he could have just…

 _Wait. Did I-_ People began flipping the pages in their textbook and wary of making a fool out of himself again, he dumbly followed along.

Although the information was barely reaching him. In fact, he felt so sure that he was going to fail this class that it made him physically sick to his stomach. If the curriculum wouldn't kill him, Lucaon would. And if Lucaon wouldn't, then he might just do it himself, at this rate.

Suddenly, people were mumbling about an impending test and leaving their seats. He awakened to the realization that class was over, and that he still had his textbook opened up on his desk like a moron. He scrambled to stuff it into his bag and follow suit.

"Kyon." the professor was leaning with his back against the desk, both hands in the pocket of his slacks. "Come here."

 _This is it… I'm going to die._ He resigned himself to his fate. Let his next life be fruitful and may Logan find a new roommate as quickly as possible. One that could tolerate his drinking problem. That was his only request.

He approached Lucaon's desk and kept his head low, far too ashamed to face him properly. "I...I'm sorry!" he blurted out. "I must have caused trouble for you and Mr. Ryan. If I did anything strange, I…"

"I just wanted to know if you were still struggling with the course material."

"...Pardon?"

How could he have forgotten? The whole reason he'd sentenced himself to a night of drinking with Logan in the first place was because he'd been trying to forget  _that_ whole ordeal to begin with.

Lucaon was frowning, and that much snapped him back to reality quite quickly. Well, he was  _always_ frowning but having that expression directed towards a specific person was much scarier than watching him distribute it evenly to an entire classroom. Kyon couldn't blame him, though. "R-Right. I… I think I've got it now, I apologize for troubling you."

As he turned away, Lucaon prodded, "Are you sure? I set aside time today in order to help you."

It wasn't a threat, nor a complaint. In fact, it might have even been encouragement. But Kyon's brain just didn't function in a way that  _wouldn't_ interpret that as a guilt-trip and found himself swallowing nervously. "...I see. Ah, then…"

With no alternatives, he conceded to spending a few extra minutes reviewing the material. And however needed it was (because it was very much needed, at this point) he still couldn't bring himself to concentrate when a man like that was sitting across from him.

Was there even a secret to toning this sort of desire down? No matter what he imagined, it didn't seem like his body or his mind would be satisfied. The tamer his dreams were, the more his heart grew attached to things that were impossible. And each little response that his body made merely caused him to crave more. This was a nightmare, to say the least.

He became increasingly uncomfortable as he noticed the professor's unwavering stare. And as much as he wished he could refrain from asking… it was bothering him far too much.

"Is… something wrong, sir?"

There was no reply, and the man didn't immediately shift his gaze, either. Kyon felt compelled to keep his eyes on his notes, in which the scribbles were doubling with every anxious, passing second.

Lucaon said, eventually, "That person from before. Is he your lover?"

He must have misheard him, but as he lifted his head, he concluded that he was dead serious. The look in his eyes was no joke, but it left him… confused, to say the least; and at a perfect loss for words until he could fathom who he might have been referring to.

"...Huh? You mean... Logan?" He was met with that silence again, so instead of pushing his luck, he clarified immediately. "N-No! It's not like that. Logan and I have been friends since high school, but there's definitely nothing going on between us. What on earth gave you that impression..?"

Lucaon propped his chin on his arm as his fingers idly tapped at the desk. "...The other night, at the bar. He seemed concerned."

... _Concern? That's it?_ "Oh…" he breathed a sigh of relief. At the very least, this was a misconception that was easily cleared up. "Logan was there when something happened a few years ago. He's concerned because he believes that it's something he's involved with. But…In actuality, it's just a spat between me and somebody that I used to…"

He trailed off. The implication was rather obvious and he'd rather not utter the words 'date' for the sake of his remaining pride. No, this pitiful mistake of his would absolutely not be forgiven…

The look that Lucaon gave him was that of someone who was unsatisfied. That much was obvious given the furrow in his brow and the fact that he made no further comment, though his incessant tapping increased.

"...You can ask about it, if you want to." he offered, although it filled him with dread. "I know it's strange."

"I'm not interested." he abandoned his seat and for a moment, Kyon worried that he'd actually offended him. He watched him, quite timidly, as he circled around to the opposite side of the desk.

He wouldn't turn per the risk of meeting his eyes, but could feel that he'd stopped behind him. There were eyes on him. He knew that much, and it wasn't an impossible thing to stomach.

...The hand that had reached out to touch his neck, on the other hand, was something else. "S-Sir?" It smoothed over his nape and dipped into his collar, tugging lightly at his shirt. Lucaon was completely silent, allowing Kyon to tensely hold his breath in anticipation.

The other hand gently tilted his chin in his direction, forcing their eyes to meet. Kyon, of course, was growing increasingly red. "Do you always want to be held by men?"

"... _Pardon?_ "

* * *

Ryan smashed the table repeatedly in an effort to quell his laughter. The racket shocked the bartender, who scurried far away from the table that was occupied with two regular patrons and a dark-looking man at the end of the bar. "What, you really asked something like that? To Kyon? If you were that curious, I could have told you!"

Lucaon drowned out the stares they were receiving and lifted his glass up with a single command. "Stop laughing."

It didn't help, of course, but Ryan at least buried the noise in his arms before they could scare off the other patrons. Sihan was curious. "So, what did he do?"

"Nothing. He ran." he recalled the experience as he drank. The liquor was strong, but hardly effective enough to drown out the shame of laying his hands on a student in such a way.

"You're too harsh on your students, you know?" Ryan, who had recovered just a little bit at this point, interjected with his two-cents. "It's because you don't say what you mean that you chased a student like Kyon off!"

"To think that I'd live to see the day when Lucaon laid his hands on a student… How lecherous."

"I think you need to stop sleeping with your TA before you can say something like that, Sihan." he pointed out with a smile, "Besides, you're becoming a bad influence on Lucaon."

"I don't have that kind of interest in Kyon." he argued, effectively shutting those two up… or at least, they were silent for a moment, exchanging looks with one another.

Then they turned back to Lucaon with big, audaciously sly smiles. "Oh? Whatever you say, Lucaon."

Ryan followed up with a nod, "That's good news for Logan, isn't it? Don't you think he seemed kind of interested, Sihan?"

The way they carried on as if Lucaon weren't two feet in front of them was infuriating. "You mean that  _handsome young man_ from this morning? Good for Kyon! I hear he's a catch."

"Shut up. I'm going home." having had enough, he dropped his fee on the table and left those two behind.

They stared at the empty chair and struggled to contain their laughter, hitting the table repeatedly until the bartender  _begged_ them to stop.

* * *

Days passed before Kyon's next scheduled lecture with Lucaon, and he dreaded it.

"Should you really be all that surprised?" Logan wondered as he accompanied Kyon with a baguette under his arm. "For a guy like Lucaon to assume that you're into men… Well, to be fair, you  _do_ give off that 'please hold me' vibe."

He wanted nothing more than to floor Logan, but it would not be worth it. "Shouldn't you quit bringing that thing to school? You're not fooling anyone and Mr. Ryan said-"

"Don't make this about me, Kyon. You're the one that wants to get weird with your professor. And now that there's a  _slight_ chance that your professor is interested, you're running away!"

"I was surprised! What was that supposed to mean, anyway?! Is that really a normal thing to ask someone?!" he was at his wits end with all of this. He was in over his head to begin with and if he had to run out of that classroom one more time, he was going to launch himself straight into the stratosphere.

"Who  _cares!_ " Logan clutched his baguette protectively "We're going out tonight anyway, so the only thing you should be worried about is how you're going to help me sneak this thing past Mr. Ryan. Remember, if anyone asks-"

"We're donating material to the culinary arts classes, I know. Nobody's going to believe that, Logan."

He cleared his throat with stubborn authority, "I expect to see you back here, as soon as your gross lecture is over, with a better attitude than that. Got it? You're not ruining this for me."

"Get help."

Logan huffed as they continued on their merry way into one of the main buildings. He opened his mouth to retort, but managed to walk directly into another person, as his attention had been on Kyon. "Woah." he steadied himself quickly, "Sorry, dude-"

"Oh, hey. I guess I found him."

Kyon and Logan immediately took a step back, in hopes that those people would simply move aside, but they were unmistakably dealing with  _those_ people. "You guys, again?! You've gotta be-"

Kyon grabbed his wrist, "Let's just go." there were three; their odds weren't overwhelming, but one way or another, he strove to avoid any further conflict.

"You subhumans should just go home. People who defy Edwin usually don't last long here, but I guess it helps to have a guy like Ryan in your back pocket."

Logan was a bit slow when it came to enforcing the pacifist policy. "What? You guys are acting pretty high and mighty for people who resort to middle school crimes!"

"Edwin is the one who decides how far these things will go. Move aside, trash. We have no business with you." they were blocking the entire entryway, and Kyon was getting fed up.

He yanked on Logan again as he faced those three, who weren't much taller than themselves. If anything, they appeared to be second years, which wasn't surprising considering Edwin's social reach. "Look, we're trying to get to our lectures without causing trouble. So go ahead, spill your drinks on me, trip me, I don't care! But handle it quickly before you needlessly get others involved."

They drew closer, intensifying the conundrum of being the only students currently present within the hall, as far as they were aware. It implied that anything was game so long as the security cameras couldn't prove misconduct. "We were  _told_ to let you off the hook if it seemed like you'd quit being so arrogant. But it seems that you still haven't learned your place. So if you really want us to let you slide, you should start by getting on your knees."

Logan, who was incapable of shutting up, shook off Kyon's hand and immediately began to run his mouth off. "You're the ones that don't know your place! Anyone who unquestioningly follows somebody else's orders in this day and age is just sad."

"Logan."

"Don't you have anything better to do with your lives? Besides following some prick around who gets off on bad mouthing others and acting like goddamn royalty,"

" _Logan."_

"When he's no better than any of us! You're trash, you're trash, you're  _definitely_ trash and Edwin? He's a-" he was shoved out of the way.

Kyon inserted himself right in the wake of that water, which soaked him to the bone. Those people were satisfied, boldly hoisting a bucket overhead while biting back laughter.

"It's pathetic, you know. Just how many times are you going to get trashed before you understand? You know what to do to put an end to this… Well, that's all that we've been instructed to do,  _for now._ " the miniature possy pushed past them, sloshing water beneath their boots as they made their way through the door. "But rest assured. He isn't done with you losers yet."

As Logan got to his feet, he grabbed Kyon's shoulders, only to confirm that he was indeed soaked to the bone. "Dude! Are you alright? They didn't put anything weird in that water, did they?!"

As he looked Kyon over, it was apparent that he immediately regret his decision to wear white. His clothes were sticking to his skin and everything was visible through his thin shirt. It seemed like his pants received the least of the damage, but still dragged with an uncomfortable weight and wetness. His expression was unreadable, but he eventually rested a hand on Logan's shoulder. "It's fine. Just let it go."

"Let it  _go?_  That guy was right. Kyon, just how long are you going to let them get away with this before you-"

"I said  _let it go_!" he snapped, "They want to provoke us. If we retaliate, they get what they want. Besides… this isn't your problem anymore, Logan. This is between me and  _him._ "

Logan looked dumbfounded for a moment, as if he still hadn't completely registered the fact that Kyon had yelled at him. He pouted just like a child, until he let out a begrudging sigh, "Okay, I get it. You want to settle things on your own… But you just say the word and I'll jump in! That's what friends are for!"

He was able to smile a bit, until he realized that he was dripping all over campus property making an immense mess that would rile up any janitor. So he looked towards his buddy hopefully. "You… wouldn't happen to have brought a change of clothes with you."

That idiotic drunkard gave him a reassuring grin.

* * *

Logan's clothes were loose-fitting and smelled a bit too much like whatever he'd been hiding in that baguette, but they were dry. And comfortable, to be fair, but he counted on getting home to properly change as soon as possible.

Still, he couldn't avoid Lucaon's class just because he was a bit mortified and wet. So he endured a class period in which he forced himself to pay attention, and occasionally felt the burning sensation of eyes on him.

He expected to be stared at, but somehow felt that this level of blatant attention was a bit extreme, even for him. There were several times in which he just wanted to grab his things and go, but that would just turn into another problem.

_I want to end this._

He fulfilled his promise to Ryan; he tried talking things over with Lucaon, made an ass of himself, even managed to snag a rare one-one with the professor from hell and  _still_ found a way to look foolish. At this point, dropping the class would just be merciful on him and one less burden on Lucaon. Fantastic.

Knowing that he wouldn't be enrolled much longer was a bit of a downer, hence his reluctance to follow along as the professor cited source material. He couldn't find the motivation to take notes anymore, though it was an excuse to scribble at the very least, even if it did result in an inkless pen and chicken scratch. But it managed to tide him over until the class ended, and he stuffed his things into his bags quickly.

He intended to be one of the first ones out but Lucaon stopped  _everyone_ in their tracks by uttering in a deep, commanding voice, "Kyon."

The others were quick to escape and silently offer their condolences on the way out.

"Come here." he urged him closer with the same fingers that touched him and shook up his entire being during their last encounter.

Kyon came a bit closer, but kept a reasonable distance between them as he intended to make things quick. "I'm sorry, Professor Selvior… I won't cause anymore trouble."

As if he weren't trying to offer his sincerest apology, Lucaon interrupted him. "Why are you dressed like that?"

He looked down at himself, though he didn't have to. He knew that he looked like a rat; his clothes may have been dry, but they were swimming on him and his hair was still dampened around his neck. "Oh… It's because an accident happened, so I borrowed some of Logan's clothes." he regret mentioning Logan, not because he was worried about how the situation would be perceived, but because he didn't want to acknowledge any sort of reminder of their previous conversation.

Lucaon said nothing. He just stared at him with blatant irritation on his face, and Kyon briefly considered the possibility of having broken some sort of policy. Maybe he was simply a control freak who demanded that students show up to class without looking ludicrous.

One way or another. It wouldn't be a problem if he could just- "Sir… I know this is sudden, but I don't think I… In this class, I mean…" He could only manage a handful of incoherent words, and felt quite stupid, until there was a hand on his shoulder. He hadn't even noticed Lucaon move from his spot, so it startled him.

"Sir…?" he looked up, but the expression on his face was most certainly  _not_ concern.

It took less than a split second for Lucaon to grab Kyon by his arm and toss him onto the desk with strength that definitely did not seem synonymous to a college professor. He leaned over his student and trapped him there with both arms planted firmly on either side of his head, looking down at him with eyes overflowing with anger,  _betrayal,_ lust... 

"Liar."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank goodness for spellcheck! Note: do not write when you are tired. You will spell things like asfowioeroergag,. It's not pretty


	3. Chapter 3

Kyon was forced upon the desk, pinned down by his professor who suddenly seemed more aggressive than he'd previously anticipated. Far more aggressive, in fact.

 _Liar? Me?_ He watched him warily, "Lie? No, I didn't… What are you-"

"Strip."

"Pardon?"

He was convinced that he'd misheard him, but Lucaon grabbed his hips and dragged him across the desk until he was situated at the edge. He thought he'd get thrown off for a minute, but—his pants were pulled off his body and tossed aside. And he was more than embarrassed that the shorts he wore beneath were still completely soaked.

He hadn't thought to borrow underwear from Logan, and now he regretted it. He covered his face and laid back, tightly crossing his legs.

"You're wet?"

His face reddened. Even if it wasn't intended that way, the way it was said was a bit… "I—" he swallowed nervously "That's why I borrowed his clothes, I-"

"Enough. Sit up." Lucaon grabbed his wrists and pushed them away from his face, guiding his upper half forward in the process. Though Kyon was obedient enough, he continued to needlessly resist, or cover himself as he did once his shirt was pulled over his head.

"His clothes are too big for you." he observed bitterly.

"Huh? I know-Ah!" Lucaon was thorough in his inspection, going so far as to remove his his shoes  _and_ underwear until every bit of pale skin on his body was visible. As he stepped back to admire it, Kyon struggled to cross his legs. "S-Sir, my clothes, I- I need—"

That annoying request was ignored, but Lucaon was at least mindful of pulling him off the desk… in order to pin him against it. "Shut up."

The sudden move put Kyon in a momentary daze. As he gathered his senses, he realized that he was completely trapped by his professor's body, who was firmly pressed against him. It was intimidating, and he was confused, but had never been enveloped by such immense  _warmth_ before. The smell was intoxicating as well, and he was worried that his heart would beat right out of him if this continued.

Lucaon reached across him, briefly causing him to flinch, but it was merely to open a drawer. As he appeared to be searching for something, Kyon timidly asked, "Why…? I… Can I put my clothes back on-?!" his head was forced against the desk, and his arms were pulled behind him. He realized quickly that he was being tied up. And that this was  _not_ an encounter that he was having with his professor, but rather, this man Lucaon.

The sound of something being unzipped resounded loudly in his ears, scaring him. "W-Wait, please wait. I need to go. I can't. I need to-" with every movement, he felt himself being pressed against the desk more and more, and the silence scared him the most. The worst possible scenario in his mind was the possibility of this being a humiliation tactic; that his professor would take pictures of his naked body and show them off somehow.

Whatever the case, he could not breathe easily. His breath especially hitched when he felt hands on his thighs, spreading his legs apart until he felt awfully exposed. He knew that he must have been completely red… he shut his eyes tightly. Then experienced a sudden jolt as there was a hand wrapped around his front.

"You're hard." he stroked him only once, then placed both hands on his hips. "What the hell. You're red up to your ears…" the way this was said, it sounded as if he was amused.

Kyon was trembling with the desire to rub himself against the desk, but knew better than to do a _nything_ needlessly in front of this man. "I..It's because you're...doing something strange.." he argued in a voice that was barely audible.

"Who is?" he pulled Kyon's body against him until they were so close that he could rest his head in the crook of his neck. As he dragged his tongue across that temptatious, reddened skin, Kyon felt something unmistakably hard pressed against his ass.

The moan that came out of his throat halted his reply before he could even formulate one. "Sir…" he gasped, "Y...Your….that, it…"

Few coherent words were coming to him. "My  _what_?" Nonetheless, Lucaon gripped his hips tightly and pulled him closer, until the friction of being confined to his slacks was unbearable. "It's fine… Your body will get used to it quickly."

Before he could process what that meant, his stomach was forced against the desk until he was flat against it. Something wet and thick was prodding against his entrance, suddenly, and  _begged_ for his hands to be free. "W-Wait… My hands, I… I want to hold on-  _Ah!"_

It was only the tip, but it had sent an uncomfortable tremor throughout his entire body. His breath caught in his throat and everything, his hips, his ass, his stomach, just felt so  _tight_ that he could hardly breathe. Perhaps because he was tensing.

It was faint, but he could hear the sound of Lucaon gasping behind him, evidently struggling just as much. Kyon glanced behind him with eyes that were completely clouded over with fear  _and_ lust. "It...It hurts…"

 _It hurts._ He thought as Lucaon continued to push into him in spite of it. As if it were no longer his, his body kept clenching around him; so tightly that he might not pull out even if he wanted to. "Please stop. It… It hurts." he wondered if being bound was intentional; if Lucaon  _knew_ it would hurt and simply didn't want to give him the mercy of holding onto the desk.

There was a brief pause, and Kyon considered the possibility that Lucaon was having second thoughts… about fucking his student in the middle of the afternoon, in a public hall. He drew closer and bit down on his shoulder, invoking a sudden yelp, with a purposeful reminder.

"The door is unlocked. If you don't keep your voice down, someone will hear you."

 _The door? My voice…_ the urgency in those words hit him at once, and he made a very sudden attempt to sit up in utter shock— " _Ah!"_

—In one  _ruthless_ thrust, Lucaon completely sheathed himself inside.

* * *

"Kyon sure is taking a long time…" Logan muttered, passing through the lecture hall just about as lost as one could possibly be. "This place is like a maze! How does he do this?!"

Because college campuses are hardly ever convenient, there was no such directory that he could be aware of. And he knew little to nothing about Lucaon's room, except that it was somewhere in this labyrinth and that it had ended quite some time ago. Moreover, the place was so dreary and deserted that part of him was convinced that it had been abandoned.

If not for the fact that the building was lit up, he would have given up his search long ago.

"You're not backing out of drinks again, Kyon! We made a deal!" he called out so loudly that it echoed. It was amusing, so he repeated Kyon's name, and waited for the words to return to him.

However, as he ventured further down the hall, the distant echoing of someone else's voice became vaguely apparent to him. "What, someone else is here?"

If he were lucky, it'd be Kyon. Otherwise it'd be someone who could point him in the right direction, so he followed the sounds… becoming increasingly uncomfortable along the way, as he somehow acquired a sense of dread. Perhaps because the echoes were sounding less like words and more like… moans.

...In fact. He was almost certain, at this point, as he eyed the cracked door down the hall. There were definitely womanly moans of pleasure coming out of that room, and he was having a rather hard time convincing himself that looking would be a  _bad_ idea.

" _Ah… Aah. Ahn! Haa…"_

"Wait a minute…" he got closer, peering at the distant nameplate on the door. If he were correct, then… "That's Lucaon's room. There's a woman in Lucaon's room… making  _those_ noises?! Holy shit. Kyon's gonna be…"

… It would be a disservice to his friend, to have the opportunity to confirm something so outrageous and not take it. That was what he decided as he crouched down and got as  _close as humanly possible_ to the door while practically holding his breath.

However. As he peaked inside, what he discovered—

—was most certainly not the wanton moans belonging to a beautiful woman. But the lovely moans belonging to his friend and roommate, being repeatedly railed into the desk by his professor.

Someone grabbed his shoulder.

If it weren't for the hand that quickly covered his mouth, he would have emitted the most  _embarrassing_ shriek, and his heart was pounding so quickly that he thought he might actually drop dead. But he was pulled away from the door, and for that matter, being given a very stern look by someone that he was simultaneously mortified  _and_ very thankful to see.

Ryan quietly pulled the door shut, and it alleviated the distracting sounds tenfold. To the point where it would likely no longer be an issue even if someone did walk down this hall again.

He let out a deep sigh as he turned Logan away, "Let them have their fun. C'mon, let's go."

"W-Wait!" he glanced behind him, then looked away and then looked at the door again. Conflicted. "Should… Should we do something?"

"Like what, join them?"

" _No!_  I mean—"

"It'll be fine." Ryan assured with a smile, "Though I'll have to give Lucaon a lecture about recklessness later on. It's a good thing it was just you, though! It saves me some trouble."

...He briefly wondered what Ryan would have done if he had been someone who did  _not_ guarantee silence.

It was just a little bit frightening.

* * *

By the time Lucaon had sense enough to regret his actions, it was a bit too late. Because while he was shamelessly doing his student from the back, in a way that was utterly cruel  _even for him,_ he hadn't thought to check the time. Perhaps because the only thing he could focus on, in those waking moments of ecstasy, was how good it felt to be inside. And how precious Kyon looked, pale skin flushed up to his ears with moans and gasps pouring out of his lips.

Lucaon lasted longer than Kyon, who'd already made a mess of the desk, and his own body. He was even tighter when he came, and Lucaon used it as an opportunity to slid all the way in, determined to ride out his own release.

They were both out of breath, but Kyon was breathing as if he'd been submerged under water for the past half-hour. And one look at him was enough to know that he was exhausted.

What he experienced, as he stared at his trembling student, was probably guilt. Before his knees could buckle over, he lifted him onto the desk and untied him. Then took a fistful of his clothes and threw them at him. "If you want to have me fired, tell anyone you'd like."

He stood there quietly, watching Kyon gradually come to his sense. He sat up leaning tiredly to one side, wincing slightly. "F...Fired…? No...I wouldn't…" As he spoke, with his head sheepishly lowered, evidence of Lucaon's release dripped from the inside of his thighs.

If one thing was apparent above all else, it was that this man had indulged in a  _dangerous_ drug.

He zipped his pants up and headed for the door, pausing only when he heard a timid "Sir?" calling out to him.

He stopped, but did not turn back. They had the same dilemma in mind, he supposed.

"...I'll change your grade."

They were silent, though they both knew that there was more to be said about the situation. Lucaon locked the door behind him as he left, granting Kyon just a little bit of privacy.

* * *

He was free to brood in the peace of his own mind until he stepped outside of the hall, where he was immediately greeted by the faces he wanted to see the  _least._

"Oh, Lucaon!" Ryan greeted him with a wave.

That kid, Logan, was with him muttering stupidly to himself until he was noticed. He followed up innocently, "How was class? I hope your students behaved! Ha…"

His method of avoiding them was to walk ahead in spite of being spoken to, but Ryan was quick to follow.

"Why the long face? Did somebody give you a  _hard_ time?" Jesus. If his prying weren't bad enough, Logan felt the need to tag along too.

"What? Somebody's giving Mr. Selvior trouble?" he was wearing a sly grin that Lucaon couldn't see… or rather, just chose to ignore. "You can always penetrate the root of the problem if you try hard enough!"

"Shut up." he intended to quicken his pace, and perhaps lose them eventually, but Ryan grabbed his arm and urged him to slow down until he had no choice but to stop.

"Hold on! You seem awfully on edge today… What, did you commit a  _crime_ or something?"

The expression on his face made it very clear that he was not amused. Ryan rested a hand on his shoulder assuredly, "In any case, don't forget that your students are fragile. They're at a very tender age, you know? Especially Kyon."

Logan agreed, "He's just so confused these days! His brain wants to focus but his body-"

"Kyon's a good student." Ryan explained "He tries to get his way sometimes, but he deserves a little praise every now and then, right? Just don't over do it."

"Right, Kyon's great! He's the type you just want to bend over a desk and—ow!"

He was elbowed. "Be more careful next time. That's all I'm trying to say."

Lucaon looked at them both with the demeanor of a man who was caught red handed. He knew he'd made a mistake and they probably knew it too. "I'll keep that in mind." Though he turned his back on them, he was painfully aware that he could  _not_ turn back from his decisions.

* * *

There were many "next times" and it seemed that the only ones who noticed were those who spent a considerable amount of time around them. Ryan, because he was intuitive, Logan because he was Kyon's roommate and Sihan because Ryan told him. It had been two and a half weeks since the initial incident and in terms of exercising self control, Lucaon hasn't been getting any better.

Hence the reason Ryan had ordered an intervention over drinks that night, although it was just an excuse.

"You know…" Ryan began the 'meeting' with a shot of Soju. "I'm glad that you're finally getting along with your students, I really am. It makes my job easier."

Lucaon was blank faced, still apprehensive about how he'd been tricked into this in the first place.

"But," he continued "Kyon walks to school with a limp every other day now! You're getting a little carried away."

"How?"

Sihan nodded in agreement, though he hadn't actually had much occasion to confirm that for himself. "I know how tempting it is, once you find the person that you like. You just want to do them all the time, but you can't!"

"I don't like Kyon." he argued. "Don't compare our arrangement to your relationship with that TA."

He was immediately offended, slamming his fist onto the table so overdramatically that the bartender jumped in surprise. "How dare you! He isn't just a 'TA', he's the love of my life. And for someone who doesn't 'like' Kyon, you sure spend a lot of time in-"

Ryan covered his mouth, "In case you two have forgotten: We're in public, and  _both_ of your relationships could get us all canned." Once he settled down, he let him go and spoke calmly to them both. "You should both work on being a little more tact, you know. If I have to walk in on either of you one more time, I…"

"Ryan, you walk in on people a lot. I'm starting to think that it's not an accident." that bitter remark was probably spurned by the most recent incident he'd had with Ryan's 'habit', in which he caught Sihan and Karis in a rather… compromising position, last week.

"You… haven't forgotten what a bedroom is, right? You both remember what those look like don't you? You should try using them."

Lucaon's drink of choice was wine. He sipped it and muttered plainly, "I'm not bringing a student to my bedroom."

"You're not being mean to Kyon, are you?" Sihan asked "Karis said you were cold to him when he was in your class. That's not the case, is it?!"

"Stay out of it."

"Stay out of your students!"

Ryan stood up, "Will you both keep it down?" inadvertently attracting the attention of… the entirety of the bar. But they were the type of regulars who customers paid no mind to, generally, so it lasted only for a moment.

They spoke in hushed voices afterwards. "See what I mean?" he took a deep breath "Sihan. I know, you're deeply in love with Karis, but you need to stop being so  _proud_ of it, or you're going to run your mouth off in a way that's going to cause trouble. And the same goes for you, Lucaon. Kyon could really get hurt by what you're doing! And you-"

"I asked him if he wanted me fired. He said he wouldn't do it."

Ryan resigned to a defeated sigh, "That's not the point. Sihan is no angel, but at least he's in love.  _You_ are an idiot that can't control yourself! And on top of that, Kyon is getting 'graded' for… I need a drink." his stomach physically ached from the lunacy.

He filled his glass, took a shot, and then took another one. Just in case.

"He isn't getting graded for that. His grades are fine as they are, this is extra credit."

"Extra cred-" he choked on his drink, while Sihan shrugged.

"It could be worse! Somehow. You're not beating him, right?"

Ryan tiredly rested his head in his arms, likely wondering when he'd signed up to babysit these two, and how to back out of it. "Geez… I could overlook it if you were gentle. But knowing you, you probably just shoved it in and tortured the poor kid."

"What?!" Sihan was especially outraged, "You didn't even use protection? That's the demon professor for you…"

"It's the frivolity of youth."

"Shut up." More and more, he strongly reconsidered his friendship with these people.

* * *

Kyon had less free time now. Not due to an increase in his academic workload, nor any upcoming midterms, nor procuration of a part-time job. Rather, he'd simply gotten used to spending a lot of time with Lucaon. In a lot of different positions.

Like now. Lucaon had him under the desk, on his knees while he sucked away at his erect cock. It was the solution that had been proposed when Kyon complained about his aching hips. Except now that his hips were taking a rest, he had to worry about the pain in his jaw.

"Mph-!" his cry of pain was muffled for obvious reasons, when Lucaon's grip on his hair became a bit too tight. He pulled him closer, as if unsatisfied with Kyon's service in spite of the fact that he'd already taken him  _up to the shaft._ But he was never satisfied until someone choked, apparently.

When he did choke, Lucaon released and he was made to swallow every bit of it to prevent a mess. Gasping desperately for air, he did not notice a bit of excess residue dripping down his chin, until it was wiped away by a surprisingly gentle hand. He looked up at Lucaon, somewhat longingly until he was pulled into his lap.

"St-Still?" he panted miserably, holding onto his shoulders for support.

He did not receive an answer, because his pants were already being lowered down to his knees, along with his underwear. Since they weren't loose-fitting at all, they were a bit of a struggle to take off and the wait incited Lucaon's impatience. Wary of having another pant leg ripped, he was quick to discard it and straddle Lucaon's hips with both knees resting on either side of his chair.

They should not have been doing this at all, it was a dangerous game. More especially in his classroom, during his office hours when  _anyone_ could come knocking at any moment.

Suddenly, something hard was pressed against his entrance, and Lucaon's libido never failed to surprise him. "W-Wait." he shifted uncomfortably before he could be entered "Someone will hear. These..are your office hours, right..?"

"You're the only one who uses them."

Kyon noticed that he was wearing a smile, as if it was so amusing. But before he could complain—Lucaon pushed his hips down, until his erection was completely enveloped in Kyon's cute, lithe body. " _Ahh."_ he covered his mouth as soon as that lewd moan slipped from his lips, rocking his body up and down slowly.

His pace was slow, at first, reluctant to make any more of those sounds, though he was feeling Lucaon so deeply in that position. " _Hn…"_

This was short lived, however, because Lucaon was quick to grip his wrists and pull them away, while delivering a sharp and sudden thrust. " _Ah! Ahn...I-It hurts…"_

"If you're going to ride me, do it right." he ordered with another deliberate thrust.

" _Hah! Ah, o-okay..._ Okay… I'll do it.." his mind was becoming just as messed up as his body. Those words, which would have stung so much at first, were now just something that he'd grown used to on account of this man's meticulous tastes.

He did as he was told, moving quickly against and on top of him as long as his legs would hold, though it hurt so much. Not because of the lack of protection. No, he was loose enough now that it slid in easily, but his hips couldn't take much more of this. He'd been stuck with a limp for almost a week now. Rest was in order, but so long as Lucaon was around…

" _Ahh. Hah..Ah!…"_

He would not get any rest. He went through great pains to properly fuck himself on Lucaon's lap at a reasonable pace, while keeping his moans in check. Though he eventually gave up on that. But after several minutes of doing his  _best_ to last, he eventually tightened up and spent himself on Lucaon's stomach—while Lucaon spent himself inside. This, he had also gotten used to… but was no less inconvenienced by.

"S..Sir.." he groaned as he lifted his hips, until his cock slid out completely. As did an excessive amount of semen. "Please, stop doing this… It's difficult on me to have to clean it…"

Rather than giving him a straight answer, Lucaon tilted his chin up and looked him in the eyes, wearing an utterly complacent smirk. Kyon frowned as he made way to gather his clothes, so that he could head to the bathroom and clean… again.

The bathroom wasn't far from Lucaon's classroom, thankfully, otherwise he'd have a long and agonizingly uncomfortable walk in store. It was a bit unbearable, but at the very least, the hall was so deserted that he was free to clean himself in peace. Though it didn't free him from the shame, every time he stepped out in front of the mirror that showed him the face of someone who was practically fucking his professor for grades.

 _No. That's not what this is…_ he couldn't bear the way his face flushed at the mere thought of it. Nonetheless, once he was finished, he washed his hands (and face, just in case) before heading back into the hall. He supposed that Logan would be waiting for him…

As he reached the exit, his phone vibrated in his pocket, prompting him to quickly check it.

An unsettling premonition swelled in his heart as he realized that he'd received a message from an unknown number. Because when he checked it, there were no such pleasantries, nor even a message. It was just a downloadable audio file. He was wary of a virus, at first, but his instincts compelled him to check it, so he pressed play—

—and was immediately overwhelmed by the lewd sounds he'd made when he was riding Lucaon. He shut the sound off immediately, heart thrumming wildly through his chest as he scrutinized the message, waiting for an explanation. He even peered out into the hall to double check that he was alone, and he  _was_ so  _why…_

Eventually, another message did come.

" _Edwin has a proposition for you."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wah, I finally delivered the smut... hoooray...


	4. Chapter 4

Several possibilities swam through his mind, all of which boiled down to his own incompetence and Edwin's persistence to fuck with him. This was nothing new to him, of course. But he couldn't help but wonder just how long he'd been followed by his 'loyal servants'. It seemed a little too convenient that someone who associated with his grudge-bearing ex just so happened to find Kyon in a compromising position.

The reply that he'd sent was ignored, as he'd somewhat expected. It was just an accusation of how this stranger snagged his number, but it didn't surprise him that Edwin had kept it. Again, this was too convenient.

He paced down the hall frantically for the next several minutes, anxiously awaiting  _any_ reply or at least the opportunity to scope out one likely suspect. But he was just as alone now as he had been ten minutes ago.

The only thing that compelled him to stop was when his phone, which he'd been clutching tightly in both hands, eventually vibrated with the retrieval of another message. And the only reason he hesitated to open it was because he had some idea of what he would be made to do, now that he was right where Edwin wanted him.

He'd committed the ultimate sin back then… he rejected and defied Edwin in front of his friends, and perfect strangers. The ultimate blow to his ego would not go unpunished, hence why he was so hellbent on potentially  _ruining t_ he rest of his life. In any case, he viewed the message and unknowingly held his breath.

" _These are the terms of his condition: A party is being thrown three days from now, at the same place and time as back then. Everyone is invited. Let them all know that it was Edwin who you were riding in that audio, and he'll keep the truth safe."_

His heart sank at the realization that he was being backed into a corner… It had been years since the incident happened and he'd barely managed to escape this man's wrath by the skin of his teeth.

This dead end was where all his luck had left him, and more importantly… "If I don't. What will happen?"

The reply was obvious, " _He'll have you expelled and that professor will be fired."_ but it lessened the pain, no less, as he struggled to come to terms with the situation he was now in. And it was all his fault. " _Make your decision before the party. And it would be smart to consider staying in your place from now on."_

Everything was hard to stomach, suddenly. The mistake he had made, what it had led up to and the fact that he had given Edwin a golden ticket to getting what he wanted. And no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't imagine resolving this in a way that wouldn't hurt Lucaon.

His hands were tied. Edwin had the final nail to his coffin, and he'd hammered it shut himself.

Logan waited for him that evening, in front of campus where they always met when they walked home together. "Hey!" And because he was unusually sharp for his age, in spite of his distasteful habits, he took immediate notice to the sullen look that Kyon tried to hide. Thereafter, they walked home side by side, equally tense and silent. He would not pry.

But he didn't have to, because one question was overcoming Kyon's concentration and it would not be ignored because it was something that he no longer had the right to confirm for himself. "Logan…"

His friend watched him, and they both slowed their pace. "Am I stupid?" he kept his head lowered "For thinking that I…with Lucaon..."

Though he trailed off, Logan did not demand further explanation. He merely pressed his shoulder warmly with the palm of his hand with a smile that was so unfazed, it was reassuring. "You? You're the smartest guy I know… I don't know what's going on. But I do know that it'll probably work out somehow!" he gave him his official thumbs-up of approval.

Kyon thought that he could almost crack a smile, at how Logan never changed.

* * *

He skipped class that day, thinking what he needed most was fresh air and privacy in one of the more secluded parts of campus. There was a tree and a small patch of grass cramped in between three close-knit lecture halls, with walkways so narrow that it was generally ignored. It was the perfect place to stop and rest, among other things that weren't particularly within his interests at that moment. The only thing that kept him from going home was the insurmountable guilt he succumbed to, knowing that he'd offered no explanation for his absence whatsoever, nor would he turn up to explain it later.

Not that such a thing was atypical of college students, it was just that their dynamic was a bit… weird.

Weird was the best way to describe it, but he didn't want to think about it, so he turned over and covered his eyes with his jacket. Somehow, he managed to get some rest.

...However, he was eventually roused awake by a soft kick. As he stirred, the dark figure in front of him… began to take the shape of Edwin.

He jolted upright and backed up defensively, like he'd just stumbled on a snake in the grass. But in actuality, it was just Lucaon, who had a malicious look in his eyes. With folded arms, he impatiently pointed out, "You weren't in class today."

He blinked once or twice to confirm that this person was real… and he was, or at least he wasn't fading out of existence as most of his dreams did. "...Sir..?" there were many questions in his head, but first and foremost, "...How did you know I was here?"

"...Your friend told me." he seemed almost apprehensive about admitting that, for some reason.

_Oh. It's because he asked._

He shook his head, urging the thought out of him before his heart could defiantly beat any louder. He wanted no part of this; no more games of 'risk'. "...Oh. I see." He wished that Logan would have gotten a clue… or perhaps, he deserved to be filled in.  _No, too dangerous-_

"So? Have you been out here all day?"

"Huh?"

Lucaon was frowning again, as he always did when he wasn't satisfied, which was often. Kyon couldn't help being distracted, though, so he turned his head and offered weakly, "...No. I don't know how long it's been."

"Come inside." he turned away, expecting Kyon to follow. "You'll catch a cold."

 _No. If I go inside, we'll…_ He couldn't let it happen. He refused to follow him today.

When Lucaon realized that, he turned back and stared down at his shamefully huddled body for a few long minutes. Kyon's stubbornness was radiating off of him; he had no choice but to concede. "Fine." kneeling down on the grass, he pulled his blazer off and spread it out between them.

"...Pardon?" he watched him with eyes that had widened slightly.

"I said it's fine. We'll stay out here today."

It was Kyon's turn to stare incredulously, until his face heated up and he could no longer. It was just difficult to imagine Lucaon in places outside of the classroom. This man… seemed like he belonged behind a desk. "...Thank you," he murmured quietly, scooting closer to the jacket that had been laid out, until Lucaon pushed him on top of it.

His ways of showing kindness were thoroughly confusing, so he didn't mind it. Until he was pushed flat on his back and being hovered over.

"I don't mind it," he explained, and wore a faint smile "But you might get hurt."

Before he could fully comprehend what he meant by that, his belt was being seized and yanked off. In his surprise, he gripped Lucaon's shoulders tightly, incidentally encouraging him to drag his pants down to his ankles.

The hungrier Lucaon looked, the harder it was to resist. He wanted to cling to him, hold him tight while he was done on  _his_ jacket, but… that face, those messages. He was not the one that would suffer for indulging in this.

"Sir...Please stop." he turned his body away so that it was difficult to completely remove his pants, though Lucaon's strength usually rendered such attempts futile. But he was determined to have his say. "I don't want to. We can't do it out here. Please don't…"

For a moment, it seemed that he was too preoccupied with unbuttoning his student's shirt to respond, but as he lifted his head, he was forced to look the issue straight in his weary eyes, wet with tears. Neither of his hands moved an inch. "...You're crying."

Kyon laid back and wiped his tears, though they wouldn't stop. He pulled his legs up to himself and tried to cover what he could of his half-naked body, offering nothing in reply.

It left that professor looking quite unsettled. Gently, he brushed his bangs out of his face and thumbed over his tears. He held his gaze and relented cautiously, "I get it… I'll do it slowly, so… Stop crying."

"That's not what I meant!" he snapped, tearing up so rapidly that his vision blurred. "That's not...what I meant, so…Please. Just don't. I… I can't-"

Silence passed between them, but Kyon was so mortified with his own behavior that he couldn't bring himself to look up. And if he did, he worried that he might find himself alone. But the hand that touched his face kept him grounded in reality, which he would have otherwise appreciated if not for his waking nightmare at his heels.

"...I won't do anything." he promised, "So quit crying. Get up." and released the grip he'd had on the waist of his pants.

Kyon straightened himself out as he watched his professor get to his feet, withdrawing the jacket once they were off of it. "...Mr. Selvior…" he wiped away the remainder of his tears as he used that dreaded name, which served only to solidify the distance between them, "Is it okay… if we... go to your house, today…?"

He'd forced himself to muster up all the courage he could to ask, and it was consequently twice as frightening when Lucaon stopped and turned to look at him sternly. "No." was his immediate answer.

And he'd known from the beginning that it would be, so even though he could not hide his disappointment, he did not put up a fight.

"...Why are you suddenly interested? You would be alone with me."

"I know." he explained, "...Even if I can see it just once. I'll be satisfied, so… I-If you can, please, just once…" with his body growing increasingly red as he managed his most desired request, "Can we do it on your bed?"

It was a stretch, to ask someone who could very easily lose his job if someone were to catch them going somewhere suspicious together… Well, getting in the same vehicle was a drop in the bucket compared to the other things they were doing, but even so. He'd expected to be shut down… and yet—

"...Then, wait behind the market on the other side of campus in one hour. I'll pick you up there."

—his heart caught in his throat. His ridiculous, selfish request… in spite of the fact that he knew he was being reckless, his hopes were aflame. Moreover, his heart was pounding with excitement.

He'd been presented with his final chance to have Lucaon.

And afterwards, he alone would have to reap the consequences of it.

* * *

His wait would have gone more smoothly if he hadn't been so nervous, but it couldn't be helped. Knowing that Edwin had eyes everywhere made him flinch at the sound of every passing car, though they were few and far between. He'd killed as much time as possible, enough that would allow him to be as humanly punctual as possible without having to stand there any longer than ten minutes. But his mind was so preoccupied that he would space out, and he did not see it when Mr. Ryan entered the convenient store.

The only thing that alerted him to his presence was the sound of bells and the bag in his hand when he exited, then turned to him with a smile. "Kyon, fancy running into you here. Small world?"

Responding more enthusiastically would have been appropriate, but he kept his head down as it occurred to him that he would have to consult Ryan. The person who had put the most faith in his success in Lucaon's class. "I..have something that I need to speak with you about, Mr. Ryan. If it's okay…"

"Is it about Lucaon?"

The look on Kyon's face was enough to confirm that he'd guessed correctly, but it was more pitiful than either of them had expected. So he did not pry, and light-heartedly asked, "Sure, what's the problem?"

"...I need to drop his class. I'm sorry, Ryan, I… I can't keep doing this—"

"Woah, slow down." he urged as he calmly approached him, "You must be stressed out. Should we head to my office?"

He appreciated the concern, but… "Actually, I'm waiting for Lucaon now.."

"Huh? Why would Lucaon meet you here of all places? Unless… Oh, God. Don't tell me you plan on doing it in the str-"

"Pardon? N-No! It's not…" he shook his head with clear embarrassment "He's taking me to his house… Since this place is usually deserted, we thought…"

"Wait. Lucaon is?" Ryan got closer and scrutinized him, "That's…"

"I know. It's dangerous, and it's a selfish thing to ask of him. But I… I just really wanted to…" he knew he couldn't finish that sentence. It mortified him enough to have the thought floating around in his head.

"Well…" he switched his bag into his opposite hand; the bottles inside of it jerked clumsily against one another. "It  _is_ dangerous, but that's not what I meant."

"What do you mean?"

Ryan ruffled his hair "Don't worry about it… Though, I have to wonder what brought this on. You seemed to be getting along well last time I checked? Did he hurt you?"

"No… It's not that." he sighed, listlessly looking down at his feet. "It's...It's my fault. I wasn't…"

"...Kyon. Were you two caught?" there was a serious undertone to his voice, suddenly, and it caused him to flinch. After a long moment of confirmatory silence, Ryan had no choice but to press him until his back was quite literally against a wall. "Explain yourself."

His heart thumped out of fear at that point, but he was quick to do as he was told. Except instead of wasting words, he showed him the message.

The expression on Ryan's face was not comforting in the slightest. In fact, it was a face he'd only seen him make on one other occasion, a long time ago. It was around the time when they'd first met, when he filled Ryan in on his situation.

"So it's Edwin? Edwin's doing this?" he waved the phone in front of his face again, startling him slightly as he dropped his bags and gripped both of his shoulders "Answer me, Ky-"

"What are you doing?"

They both turned to face Lucaon, looking much akin to deer in headlights. Ryan was the first to compose himself and step away, "Oh! You're here, too? What a coincidence." taking Kyon under his arm affectionately.

But, Lucaon pulled him aside instead. "Don't touch him. What were you talking about?"

Kyon tugged on Lucaon's sleeve, "It was nothing… Please don't worry about it. It was my fault for upsetting him, so…"

"Get in the car." he gestured towards the black vehicle parked precariously beside the shop; a perfect place to get robbed, really, if the campus were renowned for that sort of thing. But Kyon received the message clearly and walked away, head hung low regretfully.

Once he was out of the way, Lucaon was free to pry. "He's been acting strange lately. Have you done something to him?"

Ryan threw both hands in front of him innocently. "You're misreading things. But I'm glad to see that you're so interested in him—"

"Enough." he turned away "Keep your hands off."

"Sure thing," he conceded "But, Lucaon… You should really practice what you preach." and though he said that, he couldn't help but be distracted by Kyon's words. Lucaon was clueless, so it seemed like Kyon hadn't told him.

At the very least, he was leaving. Which was good.

It meant that he could smash a cheap bottle of booze to alleviate his frustrations with no wandering eyes in sight. However, as liberating as  _that_ was, it didn't shake the questions that prevaded him. Things like how Kyon intended to solve it, whether Kyon had already agreed to it or planned to. There would be issues one way or another, now that Lucaon was involved. He needed more information, and fast. Moreover… Kyon had forgotten to take his phone.

This was convenient.

* * *

Lucaon's house was large, intimidating, and completely befitting of the person who resided in it. As he treaded carefully through the entryway, still considerably reluctant about the fact that he was here at all, he noted that the place seemed empty. "You… live here alone?"

"Is it surprising?" he asked as he tossed his blazer on the sofa.

It was no mansion, but it was spacious enough to seem too overwhelming to belong to just one person. Or perhaps Kyon had just spent too much time sharing a flat with Logan. He was so awed that he didn't think to answer, and shamefully looked around the place.

He stopped when he reached a window and peeked out of it, suddenly hyper aware that this was not the time nor place to be curious. "Oh… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-" he turned back to find himself in strikingly close proximity to Lucaon, who practically backed him into the wall. "I…"

His apology was essentially ignored, in favor of Lucaon unbuttoning his wrinkled, white shirt and lowering it. It reminded Kyon that he wasn't here to look around… among other things that he'd rather not think about.

"Sir, can we…" he managed timidly as the man worked his tongue across his neck, "Ouch!" and proceeded to bite into it. And it wasn't exactly gentle. "Please… Please don't, I can't hide...those-"

Lucaon bit him again, gritting his teeth against his sweet, pale skin until he drew blood. It was a cruel thing to do, but he looked satisfied as he pulled away and faced him, holding him by his shoulders as if he were being inspected. "You're full of demands today."

"D-Demands?" he shook his head "No… I didn't mean-"

"I know. Don't worry." he licked the blood away from the wound and paused. Then, slung Kyon over his shoulder and carried him up the steps. Surprisingly, he was not met with protests but rather the desperate clings of someone who was immensely worried that they might be dropped.

He was dropped, eventually; across Lucaon's bed.

What followed next was exactly as Kyon had hoped. Lucaon undressed him, touched him and toyed with his body the way he would have had they stayed on campus. The only difference now was that Kyon clung to the sheets until his knuckles were red, overwhelmed by the scents that entrapped him.

It was as if Lucaon were reading his mind, he realized. He even did Kyon on his back, just like he wanted, so that he could properly watch him as his body was worked into the bed.

If he had to pick a drawback, it was the fact that this would be the first and only time he'd be held in such a way. And there was nothing he could do about it, except cherish everything that Lucaon did to him and hoped that the bruises would stay, because he had  _definitely_ bruised. Of course, Lucaon gripped his hips so tightly, held him so close that the places he touched would ache, and the feeling would stay with him for days.

It was something that he loved and hated all at once.

"Does it hurt?" Lucaon stopped, at some point, staring down at him with eyes that almost looked concerned.

"Pardon…?" he replied airily.

"You're crying."

His eyes widened slightly, and he realized it was true. But before he could correct it, Lucaon's hand had already reached out to gently caress his cheek and dry his eyes.

 _...I'm sorry._ A sad smile returned to his face and he held Lucaon close to him, urging him to continue with a quiet plea in his hear. "It… feels good, so…"

Eventually, his body and mind were both filled up. Lucaon pulled out and sat on the edge of the bed, most likely zipping himself up. Thus was Kyon's cue to leave, so he tried to assist himself off the bed with pitifully wobbly legs.

However, he was quick to be yanked back onto the mattress, and immediately feared the possibility of a second round—

"Just go to sleep."

—but instead… was pulled tightly into the man who was supposed to be nothing more than his professor. The way he was held close was so sweet that it was almost devastating, and he wasn't confident that Lucaon wouldn't hear his inconsolable heartbeat.

* * *

Ryan approached the man seated at the bar with an impatient smile. He was alone this time, and did not motion to take a seat nor order a drink at the bar.

"Ryan. It's been a while."

"I thought we had an agreement," he folded his arms across his chest "You're prohibited from contacting Kyon."

Edwin turned towards him with a drink in his hand and an unfazed smile plastered across his face. "It's not like I contacted him directly…? I can't control what the people around me do."

"Quit playing coy, we both know what this is about. What could you  _possibly_ gain from ruining Kyon over an incident that happened years ago!"

The way that he nonchalantly sipped his drink made his blood boil, and he took his sweet time to explain, "Kyon was very lucky when I chose him. He knew his place, and instead of being grateful, he rebelled. Don't you think you're getting too involved in someone else's business?"

"You made it my business when you got Lucaon involved."

"Oh? Is  _that_ who he was with?" there was a tilt to his voice, as if he were treating it like a joke "Thanks for letting me know-"

Ryan was not interested in his sense of humor, so he slammed his fist down on the countertop and accidentally garnered the attention of too many bystanders. Put off by the tense atmosphere, the bartender moved elsewhere, while Ryan dealt with the consequences of having dozens of eyes on him.

_So that's why he wanted to do this in public._

In less than a minute, Ryan regained his composure and begrudgingly took a seat, handing a small victory off to Edwin, who faced him with his head propped leisurely against his arm. "You don't need to look so angry, I know why you're in this, 'hyung'. It's not your fault that Kyon wanted you to solve his problems."

"That's not—"

" _Let me talk._ " his smile was chilling and there seemed to be an authoritative air to every word. "You can protect Kyon all you want, but he's not the one in danger, is he? Or do you not care that your precious friend has his career on the line because of somebody else's slip-up."

Though he frowned, he did not interrupt. Else, he would be unable to control himself.

"I have a proposition for you, 'Mr. Ryan'... Would you like to hear it?"

"If it's the same 'proposition' you gave Kyon…"

Edwin dismissively waved off the idea and continued, "My intentions were to mortify Kyon by taking credit for someone else's work. A good idea, in theory, but not very satisfying in effect. However… If I were telling the truth,"

"You want to sleep with Kyon." he accused "That's what it comes down to, doesn't it? So you'd go through any lengths to have someone that already rejected you. You're sick."

The mention of 'rejection' did not sit well with him, if the glare that briefly flashed in his eyes was any indication. He laughed, though the humour did not reach his eyes "I wonder if it's any worse than a professor laying their hands on a student!" then laughed even louder when Ryan looked at him with utter resentment.

In spite of the obvious jab, he stayed silent. It gave Edwin the opportunity to pitch it bluntly. "All I need is Kyon for one night, and every shred of evidence that your friend was ever involved in such a scandal goes away. Neither myself  _or_ my followers will show themselves in front of you again. It sounds a little generous, in my opinion."

_Generous? More like twisted._

...Even so. As much as Ryan hated to admit it, (and he  _hated it…)_  the tradeoff was far from one-sided. Everyone benefitted from the arrangement in some way.

Except Kyon, who would definitely hate it… Moreover, he would never  _agree_ to it. And Ryan can't fathom that he'd truly want him to.

"The offer's on the table." Edwin rose from his seat, tilting his half-empty glass in Ryan's direction. "You're probably thinking that Kyon would never agree to it though, right? That face tells me I'm right… Well, this is just between you and me, since we're the same type." he leaned in, swirling his drink in his hand. "I don't mind if you use underhanded methods to 'persuade' him… This is about Lucaon's well-being after all…"

Ryan said nothing, so he slipped his number across the counter and abandoned his glass. "Contact me. Unless you decide that you can trust Kyon to make the best decision, for his sake. I'll see you."

As he left the bar, Ryan was conflicted… Wholeheartedly and utterly conflicted. Whether as a guidance counselor or a friend, he was being tried by a matter that pushed the boundaries of his morals. Is it right to sacrifice a friend for family? Is it not? It was no small decision.

For two consecutive hours, he drank it over and crumbled over his wavering disposition. This was the fault of a man who was so petty that he went through incredible lengths to destroy one student on account of a matter that was trivial at best. He knew that he was not kidding, when he'd promised that he would ruin Lucaon's life.

He also knew that he was somewhat correct insinuating that Kyon had much less to lose in this situation, in every regard.

...But in the end, he'd only ever professed to the desire to 'guide' him; not to be his protector. He drank it over a bit more, before eventually mustering the conviction to pull out his phone and dial the number that Edwin had given him.

It was a sobering defeat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> disclaimer: if Edwin is eventually revealed to be a distant cousin/uncle/great aunt/etc to Kyon in future updates, I would like the records to show that I am innocent and in this setting he is just some daddy-type pokemon with grabby hands.


	5. Chapter 5

_3 years ago_

Kyon was seated on the couch beside Edwin, as was expected of the student who had been newly elected as his 'lover'. It wasn't a particularly amazing feat, considering it was a title given to quite a few of his followers and he cycled through them like used T-shirts. But they were approaching the third week of their 'relationship' nonetheless. And Kyon was no more enthusiastic about it now than he had been from the beginning.

He couldn't say no to Edwin; nobody could. It was social suicide to even consider it, so even though he was growing increasingly fed up with the hands around his waist, he would sit still and endure it so long as he'd be permitted to go home soon. He'd had quite enough of this party already.

"Are you having fun?" he asked as he topped off their glasses, though Kyon had barely touched his to begin with.

"I am." he lied, taking a single, precarious sip from his cup. He'd forgotten to smile, so it wasn't very convincing.

Edwin pulled him closer. "It's alright if you drink a little more. There are no adults here."

That's precisely why he wasn't drinking, actually. But he kept it to himself and politely scooted his cup away. "It's alright, I don't really like drinking."

"Are you saying you don't want to drink with me?" his grip on Kyon's waist tightened. For a moment, he feared that he might be reprimanded and braced himself, but—

—instead, Edwin pulled him into his lap, turning his body around so that he'd straddle his hips. It was advances like this that made Kyon eerily aware of the fact that there really  _were_ no adults around here. He could tell that Edwin was feeling the alcohol, after practically downing two bottles on his own. And he was the type who liked to touch when he was tipsy.

His hands rested on Kyon's waist for a moment, while Kyon rested his hands on his shoulders. Now was a good time to start retreating. "Sorry… It's not that I don't want to drink with you. We have school tomorrow, and I don't want to…" Edwin wasn't listening, that much was evidenced by the hands slipping his shirt up.

"You think too much… Just skip it. We have more important things to do tonight." he argued, angling Kyon closer that he could taste his neck. After having his fill, he leaned into Kyon's ear and whispered, "There's an empty room in the back...The bed looked pretty big."

In his surprise, he clutched Edwin's shoulders tightly. "Maybe… that isn't the best idea." he offered, phrasing his words as carefully as he could possibly manage, as he slid off of Edwin's lap. "I have homework to do. But maybe another t-"

He was shoved off onto the opposite side of the couch, a bit too roughly for comfort. A wave of panic surged through him as several bystanders turned their heads and he looked back to bear witness to the unsatisfied expression he was wearing.

Nothing good ever happened when he was unsatisfied. He expected to be hit, rejected completely or worse, but—

Edwin merely reached out to pat his head. "You're a good boy, Kyon… But you need to understand that your obedience is the only charming thing about you. So don't cause any trouble. Okay?"

"...Okay." he did not move a muscle, because he was unsure if he was permitted to continue sitting beside him. It seemed like a trivial concern, but a false assumption like that could lead to severe repercussions.

He didn't seem too keen to spell it out for him, either. Rather, he abandoned the couch entirely and touched his chin. "I'm getting a little fed up with you… Well, it's not as though I didn't see this coming." he let him go and walked towards the back, where that supposedly vacant room would be "So I had something else arranged. I'll see you tomorrow… Maybe."

There was a sinister undertone to the words that just came out of his mouth. Kyon was way out of line, but got to his feet and followed him down the hall, though he was being ignored. "Pardon? What do you mean by that, please wait!"

When Edwin stopped, Kyon did not realize it and consequently bumped straight into his back. He was rather terrified now that it occurred to him that he may have walked into a bluff. They were standing in front of the bedroom door, Edwin looking back at him with a glint in his eyes that was a bit hard to place. "What… Are you that curious?"

He was a bit apprehensive about responding, only to quickly find that he didn't need to. "I'll let you take a peek, then." he opened the door and stepped aside.

A familiar person was lying face down on the bed, clearly incoherent and barely conscious. The implications of what Edwin had meant sunk in. "What on earth- No, you're not serious, are you?! Logan, wake up this instant!"

The smile he wore explained enough. He was serious and possibly demented. "Oh, I figured you knew him. I saw you two chatting the other day."

"This isn't funny," he knelt by Logan and continued to shake him, but he was as useless as a bumbling idiot at the moment. "Leave him out of-"

"You're the one at fault. It's because you're being so difficult that I had to take drastic measures… Don't worry, I'm not bad." he leaned against the doorframe "But I wonder if your friend won't resent you afterwards, knowing he was targeted because of you."

Needless to say, Kyon was at an impasse. Whether Logan or himself, someone would be paying the price for getting involved with Edwin. Of course it had come to this… Even so, as much as the idea of sleeping with that terrible man repulsed him,

Logan did not deserve any part of this. "You're sick… You'd go this far just to sleep with someone? Why? You can have  _anyone_ you want in this entire world, so why-!" he demanded, clenching both of his fists in frustration. They'd begun to attract some attention, but they both knew that nobody would intervene unless explicitly instructed to do so.

He didn't same fazed by the attitude one bit. Just amused. "When did I ask for 'anyone'? I asked for you. I wanted you… I'm starting to think that you don't fully comprehend how lucky you are."

"If this is 'luck', I'd rather not have it… I don't want any part of this. I'm done. I can't do this anymore," he roused Logan's shoulder, again, until he eventually nodded himself back to life.

Though he seemed rather nauseous, he mustered the strength to sit upright idly let his eyes wander around the room. "Kyon…? Where am I?"

"What, you woke up already…?" Edwin did not look amused. "That's what happens when you stake your bluff on an incompetent person's drinking habits, I suppose."

"Logan, we're leaving." Kyon grabbed his arm and urged him off the bed. He needed to be supported, but at the very least he was capable of standing.

The problem remained in the doorway, though. "You're being disobedient today, aren't you?"

He didn't care. He didn't care if he never saw Edwin's sickening face again in his entire life, he just wanted out. Being submissive was not an issue, he could play the dog all day and night if he had to. But to get an innocent person involved in some sick game…

They pushed past Edwin, who apparently didn't seem to interested in detaining him. But on their way out, Kyon came across a rare, and stupid opportunity.

He reached out to grab somebody's abandoned glass of liquor—

—and threw it in his face.

* * *

"And that's why Kyon has a black eye in all of our graduation photos!" Logan explained, perhaps a bit too cheerfully as they sat across from Ryan. It was the midst of their first year as college students, and they'd become close acquaintances with one another and the guidance counselor.

They hadn't anticipated that they'd be stuck on the same campus with Edwin for another year. Since he gathered followers wherever he went, it resulted in a few problematic encounters. Some more serious than others, but Ryan's intervention became necessary when Kyon showed up at his door one day with a bruised lip.

It was what they were currently discussing, actually, and Logan felt inclined to explain the whole ordeal… while Kyon sat back looking positively flustered. "I'm sorry… I didn't know that I'd cause this much trouble. If I had known that then I would have, maybe…"

Ryan reached out to proudly pat his head, "You did a brave thing for your friend… It's regretful that you wound up attending the same place, but at the very least, Edwin only has another year here before he graduates ahead of you two. Not that your problems will end entirely, but… It is something to look forward to."

Kyon tried to look optimistic, but couldn't help looking down at himself in shame. It was his fault that Logan had gotten in this mess in the first place. And if he weren't careful, he could possibly end up becoming a target as well.

Logan took Kyon around the neck and assured, "Right? I'd do the same thing for Kyon in a heartbeat! Don't look so down, you couldn't just let that guy control you forever."

"He's right, Kyon." Ryan lifted his chin so that he wouldn't miss the sincerity in his eyes. "It's fine to stand your ground every now and then, even against an opponent like Edwin… No matter how powerful he seems, you have people like us on your side…"

He was relieved to see that Kyon was finally watching him; letting the words sink in. He meant everything that he said, and offered lastly:

"Don't let that guy force you into doing something that your heart can't handle."

* * *

When Kyon awoke, he was a bit confused.

It was the first time in a very long time that he hadn't woken up in his bedroom, in the apartment he shared with Logan. But the bed was much softer and the room was so much more refined than what he was used to.

He soon realized that he was in Lucaon's bed, in Lucaon's home, of all places. It made him slightly nervous, and he was too wary to turn over to see if he was the only one awake… Rather, if he found the space beside him empty, it might actually hurt. So he faced forward and pulled himself towards the edge of the bed, in spite of the dull pain in his hips.

However, before he could even firmly plant his foot on the ground, he was yanked back into the blankets. It scared him for a moment. "S-Sir?"

Lucaon said nothing at first, and the feeling of being held so closely somehow served to intensify the guilt in his heart. But he eventually stroked his hair and whispered in a low voice, implying that he was not long awake either, "Just stay."

"I...have to go." he hesitated to squirm away, in spite of knowing that. "I'm sorry."

"Why?"

"I…" lying to this man was difficult, even with his back turned. "There's something that I have to take care of."

"It can wait."

Kyon wished that being clung to didn't feel so good. The thought of being cherished by this person, whom was so far above him, made his heart swell up with pride and grief. It was probably the first time that he'd ever genuinely felt such affection for someone. Perhaps that was why it hurt all the more to have to let him go. "It can't."

The bed shifted, Lucaon leaned over him with scrutiny in his eyes. "Is it so important that you can't tell me what it is? Or are you trying to leave."

He received nothing from Kyon, except a sad smile.

"Answer me."

He wanted to, but the words would not reach him. Because he knew that Lucaon would dread the idea of having his career on the line on account of a student, and he didn't want to see that hatred in his eyes.

If he could never have those eyes on him again, he wanted the last look they exchanged to be affectionate. So he took a risk.

"Goodbye… Sir." he gently brushed Lucaon's hair behind his ear and pressed their heads close, until their foreheads touched.

He was unexpectedly received with a kiss against his bangs; "Is it too much for you?" suddenly, his chest felt tight. It was too much but it wasn't enough. He was satisfied with everything this man gave him and yet he selfishly wanted more.

"...It is." he lied, and tried his best to stomach to sullen look in his professor's eyes, although it hurt. "It's too much… I'm sorry."

When he sat up, Lucaon did not stop him, nor did he complain when Kyon got dressed and left the room. Whether it was because he pitied the tears in his eyes or wavered at his rejection, he had no choice but to let him go.

Kyon struggled to keep his composure as he walked away from the house, slightly in pain but mostly in dire need of a shower and a break from all of it. But he could not ignore the fact that there was still the matter of Lucaon's job on the line, in the hands of a very petty and unreasonable man.

This feeling of hopelessness that pervaded him felt very reminiscent to something he'd endured long ago… He could think of no better person to consult than Ryan. Ryan would help him, Ryan would help him drop Lucaon's class once and for all. He could put an end to all of this.

He reached into his pocket for his phone, and then his other pocket. Then he double checked the first pocket and when it still wasn't there, he began to panic.

_My phone. Did I leave it back there-? No, I…_

He mentally retraced his steps, realizing that he hadn't even been remotely interested in his phone, since…

 _Ryan must have it._ The thought compelled him to breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that it was in good hands, at the very least. But he couldn't fend off the defeat that overcame him as he realized he'd inadvertently thrown a wrench into his own plan. If he couldn't get ahold of his phone by tomorrow night, then…

He sped up, to the point where his already over-exerted body was aching with the stress of his pace as he hurried to his home. Logan jumped up as soon as he stepped inside, uttering such nonsense that Kyon couldn't bring himself to dwell on. "Where have you been?! You could have called or something, you know! I thought something happened to-"

"Let me borrow your phone." he pleaded, clutching him by the shirt with both hands. The fact that he was out of breath and radiating desperation gave Logan the hint that he was being dead serious, though it only served to further his concerns.

"Okay, but… Why? Are you alright? Do we need to call the police, or… Do you need me to hide you?!"

Kyon took the phone and ignored him, scrolling frantically through Logan's contacts. His search was fruitless, unfortunately… because there were far too many people in his phone, and hardly any of them were listed under proper names. "Logan… What on earth... Which one of them is Ryan?!"

Logan peered over his shoulder, "Try 'drinking buddy'."

"...Nothing's coming up, Logan." he was growing increasingly frustrated by his friend's compulsive desire to categorize every contact with ridiculous emoticons.

"...Shit. I may have changed it when I was drunk, uh, don't panic. Let's try-"

"I'll just call my phone," he decided, instinctively searching for his own name under the 'K' log… but when  _his name_ wasn't there either, he was warily close to throwing Logan's phone across the room. "Logan."

"Put 'S' in the search bar."

"S?" he did so, but it didn't narrow much down. One contact was labeled plainly with the letter S, another called Snake, Sick, Sewer and so forth. There was no rhyme or rhythm to- "Who is 'Sex Addict'?"

"Give me the phone." he grabbed it and made the call himself, swatting Kyon's demanding hands away. "Oh, Ryan! Figured you'd answer, buddy. Look, so you already know what this is about. I'll put Kyon on the phone… Huh? Why not?" he was walking further away from Kyon's rage. "Oh, gotcha. Sorry to disturb you then! I'll let him know. Take good care of it 'til then, later!"

As he hung up, Kyon fumed. "So? What did he say?!"

"Meet him at our usual spot tonight. He'll return it to you then." he explained with a smile, even as he kept the phone out of reach.

At the very least, the fact that this was sorted out quickly was a relief. But there was still once injustice that needed to be amended.

"Logan…" he tapped his foot against the ground in utter resentment, "Give me your phone."

* * *

The bar was a bit busy, as expected of the weekend hustle, but he found that Ryan had already saved his seat by the time he arrived. They were seated at a table near the bar, nestled in a quaint little corner that provided some semblance of privacy.

"Ryan… Thank you for holding onto my phone. And I'm sorry, I-"

"Don't worry about it." he assured, passing the phone over to Kyon who gladly accepted it. The battery life was low, but it didn't bother him. "I actually had something that I needed to speak with you about."

"Oh, you did…? I did, too. About-"

"Lucaon," they said in unison. Ryan smiled, although Kyon looked a bit embarrassed as he realized he'd become too easy to read.

"I know. You were given a tough decision to make." he filled Kyon's glass with a bottle of wine, while ignoring his own in favor of water. "Drink it over. Logan does this whenever he has a tough decision to make."

 _Logan does this in the shower._ He would know, the man's cleaning skills were abhorrent.

In the meantime, they discussed nothing unusual, dancing gracefully around the subject until Kyon was hazy enough to courageously mention, "I need to drop Lucaon's class… I can't do this anymore, Ryan…"

He worried that Ryan would try to talk him out of it, but the concern in his face lasted only for a moment. He was smiling again… he'd been smiling all night, actually. Though he didn't seem to be in very high spirits, otherwise he would be drinking too. But he never touched the wine. "You really can't? I see… Well, I did say that I wouldn't force you if you two couldn't get along after a while. So I'll help you drop his class on Monday."

"Thank you…" he caught himself yawning, then checked his phone to ensure that it wasn't getting late. But it had died due to neglect and he would die if he couldn't sleep, soon…

_No. Stay focused-_

"I know that it isn't easy to get along with Lucaon. He's an abrasive man who behaves like an impulsive brat, so it must be difficult for you." he reached out to pat Kyon's head and ran his fingers through his hair in a manner that was somehow soothing. "But he's important to me nonetheless… Well, he is family after all."

"Family…?" he felt like a child, as he hung onto every word merely because he was lacked the capacity to further the conversation. It felt odd, too, because he could have sworn he'd stuck to one glass of wine.

"That's right. Don't tell anyone, okay?" he leaned in and kept his voice low "He's my precious nephew, who my sister entrusted me to look after. Do you understand what that means, Kyon?"

He was drawing a blank. Of course he knew what that meant, but he wasn't sure that he knew what Ryan wanted him to knew. Actually, Ryan seemed a bit withdrawn, and he wondered if it was his imagination or if he was becoming more difficult to talk to. There was an odd distance between them that wasn't usually there.

"You don't have to answer me. Just have some more wine," he refilled his glass before he could protest, "It means that I have a responsibility to Lucaon as an uncle  _and_ a man. I'll go through any lengths necessary to keep him safe, even if someone gets hurt along the way… Do you understand?"

Kyon shook his head because it was all too confusing. Even if what Ryan was saying made sense, he couldn't shake the premonition welling up in his stomach… or perhaps it was the booze.

"That's alright." he stood up and settled near Kyon's chair, rubbing his back and shoulders gently. "Next time… you should choose your battles more carefully, Kyon. Because I really don't want to do this to you; I don't. But… I thought you at least deserved to know why I'd go this far."

Kyon's sense of urgency was failing him. He knew he should be alert and awake and wary of this man's sudden ambiguity, but he couldn't ward off his drowsiness any longer. His eyes blinked shut after several long attempts to stay awake, then his head fell forward in his indefinite nap.

"I'm sorry, Kyon."

* * *

Driving an unconscious person around was never easy, moreover when that person was being delivered to someone with disgusting intentions. And Ryan was not at peace, whatsoever, even when he arrived at the location he had designated; it was a rather upscale hotel on the Eastern end of the city, far enough from the campus so that he wouldn't have to worry about any sort of backlash. But close enough that Kyon would be able to find his way home without a problem, afterwards.

_After that bastard…_

There was no sense in worrying about the pointless things now, since he'd come this far, so he helped Kyon out of the car by hoisting him onto his back. It was a strange thing to see, but the receptionist was merely worried about confirming his reservation, and he sought Edwin immediately once that ordeal was sorted out.

That man was waiting for him in the lobby, so very casually that one might think this was business as usual. Far from it. "...Would you look at that." he eyed the unconscious form on his shoulders, "It's been a while."

Edwin stepped towards him, but Ryan remained firm. And the look on his face implied that he was  _not_ in the mood for games. "We had an agreement. Erase the evidence, and swear that Kyon won't be hurt."

He smiled in spite of the tense demands. "It must be nice to play the 'hero' while offering this guy up like a toy."

"The evidence." he repeated.

Edwin leisurely held his hands out in front of him, "You'll have to wait until I'm done with him." wearing a complacent smirk. "You look angry… If it makes you feel better, you have permission to wait in the car?"

In his frustration, he handed Edwin the room key and turned away. Kyon was lowered into Edwin's arms, who helped him walk although he staggeringly dragged to one side. And although it was a pain, hauling Kyon up to their hotel room, it was worth being rid of the nuisance.

...

As Ryan walked away from the hotel, he made a phone call. "...Hey. Hear me out first; I need a favor."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sooo tired... so tired so tiredd


	6. Chapter 6

Kyon awoke in a rather peculiar situation; it took a minute to register what was happening, but the situation sunk in with a prevailing sensation of dread. He was in what appeared to be a hotel room, with both wrists securely tied to the headboard of the bed he was on and no clothes on his body whatsoever. On the far side of the room, there was a window facing outwards towards the bright city lights and skyscrapers that solidified his concerns; they were nowhere near campus.

Naturally, he immediately began to struggle and fight what restrained him (he determined that it was a belt) until the person standing at the end of the bed finally caught his attention.

"You're awake." he pointed out, snapping several pictures on the cellphone he was holding. "It's been a while."

He sat upright, as far as he was able to and stared at the figure accusingly. "You… You son of a bitch, you've gone too far! What do you think you're doing?! This is a crime!"

"A crime?" Edwin seemed none too perturbed by the insinuation "Call whomever you want. Nobody will back you up because it's too obvious that we're just intimate lovers who indulge in a bit of BDSM here and there. Ryan will vouch for me."

"Ryan…?" his head throbbed. His recollection of going anywhere near the hotel was absolute zero; moreover, he barely recalled seeing Ryan, since…

... _My phone. Ryan, the bar. He-_

His heart raced with a mixture of turmoil and fury. "No, you're lying." he insisted "Ryan would never do...something like-"

"If you don't believe me, ask yourself why you're here. You can't remember  _anything_ after drinking with Ryan, can you?" he set his phone on the edge of the bed and leaned in. "It's fine if you can't. I offered Ryan a better deal if he would bring you here, and he did."

"Deal…? What 'deal'. Something like 'this' has nothing to do with our agreement!" the more he tugged on the belt, the more it bit into his wrists. But he was so furious that he hardly felt it.

"I guess you could say that Ryan had more to gain," he'd become increasingly condescending, "Don't worry! I'm generous. It'll benefit you too, I promise… After tonight, I'll leave you alone; for good. I'll call off my subordinates  _and_ erase the evidence that we have against you and that professor of yours, unless you've forgotten that  _you_ aren't the only one at risk anymore."

Those words stung because he suddenly understood how it was possibly conceivable that Ryan would agree to something like this. It hurt all the more that Kyon was responsible for putting him in such a difficult position; that he would have to choose between his dear friend and a student. Yet, knowing that didn't alleviate the pain much.

"...This is pathetic." he spat, "Even for you. What could you possibly have to gain from any of this?! Even back then, you could have had your pick of  _anyone_ and yet you chose me…" he lowered his head "Even though you knew that I would resist you.  _Why?!_ "

Edwin never took his eyes off Kyon, and never wiped that triumphant grin off his face. "It's your own fault. Everyone else was an opened book, why couldn't you be? You were so perfect. Beautiful, submissive, the type that looks easily pushed down, but you turned out to be a waste of my fucking time… It's a shame. But this is  _your_ fault."

"My fault? No, I…"

He pressed his knee against the mattress and leaned forward until they were eye to eye. "It's your fault for making things difficult in the first place. You could have suffered quietly, but you just had to get someone like Ryan involved… Don't try to blame anybody else, Kyon. You did this to yourself… You could have kept this between us."

There were plenty of periods in his life in which he'd felt powerless. He was a naturally submissive person, after all, who tried to avoid confrontation unless it was absolutely necessary… Because everyone had a right to be happy.

Or so he'd like to believe, but more and more epidemics kept piling up in his life that led him to believe, quite painfully, that happiness was  _not_ for him. He was not owed the same fulfillment as everybody else, but was instead expected to be a good, submissive subordinate to all; or rather, this man Edwin, who was granted different circumstances in life.

While he could walk around like a God among men, Kyon had to fight to keep his head low, so as to keep such important people unconcerned with him, because that was  _his_ only chance of ever finding happiness. Well, he'd failed though… He'd overstepped his boundaries and now he was completely at the mercy of this cruel, unforgiving person. "...I get it… I messed up." he relented dejectedly "I'm sorry. I'll apologize, I'll do anything, so… Just don't…"

"Don't fuck you?" he guessed "It looks like your professor beat me to it." that much at least was apparent from the many visible marks and bruises all over his body, predominately his neck and his hips, where he'd been bitten and grabbed far too often. "But… I can't just overlook your disrespect, can I? So be a good boy and pose for me."

He gripped his ankle and held it high above his head, inciting an appearance that was rather embarrassing as Kyon struggled to cover himself. Moreover, he grabbed his phone and readied the camera; the threat of future blackmail scared Kyon so much that he did the unthinkable and slammed his leg downwards—

—effectively striking Edwin in the jaw with so much force that the phone sprawled out of his hand.

Tense silence passed between them in the moments that followed; Kyon breathing heavily while Edwin was eerily silent and still. Neither of them moved a muscle, until Edwin relented with a deep and heavy sigh:

"I was just going to take some lewd photos…" he crawled further onto the bed until his knees crushed Kyon's calves, rendering them utterly useless under the weight, "But now you're fucked."

When Edwin pounced him, he yanked on the belt so intensely that it snapped in half with the help of the headboard, and it resulted in a struggle. Edwin was making every effort to pin his wrists back down, cursing meanwhile as Kyon's efforts to fight him only increased. He'd have to find a way to immobilize him and run, however, because if this came down to a direct fight then he would lose. Without any kind of weapon, he stood no chance over this enraged and physically apt person.

Clothes would be an issue, too. He had no idea where they were; couldn't see them laying anywhere on the floor nor in the trash can. He assumed that Edwin had considered the possibility of an escape plan.

A smart man, but violent in nature… Kyon was unprepared when Edwin delivered a solid punch and gripped his hair. "You should have known better than to cross me, Kyon."

The force had shaken him out of coherency so that he he spent a minute or so looking up at Edwin dumbly, unable to find words. "... _Ugh...Hurts_.." When he did come to his senses, he realized that things were getting serious. He was beginning to unbuckle.

However, his sudden thrashing was overlooked with an even more pressing distraction.

The door was thrown open and in walked a group of people that he'd  _never_ been more grateful to see. Sihan, Logan, a student and a woman that he did not recognized followed by— Ryan.

There were camera flashes, too, from whom he could not see. But soon enough the lot of them gathered around the bed with faces that varied between anger and smug satisfaction. The first among them to speak was the woman, who carried herself confidently. "Good evening. It's regretful that we had to meet under these circumstances, but I am obligated to interfere if the well being of a student from my university is threatened. Especially," she gave him a cold glance "If the actions reflect poorly on the moral character of our former alumni."

Edwin had been stopped in his tracks, and even moved away from Kyon, who took the opportunity to back away. But he couldn't help but notice the way she had referred to the university as  _hers._ A professor wouldn't do that. This person was-

"Headmistress Cecilia," Edwin uttered "It's nice to meet you… But, if I may… You're overlooking certain circumstances that would-"

"Save it," she folded her arms, wearing a blatantly uninterested frown. "I am well aware of the situation between my professors and their students. And while I do  _not_ condone it…" she continued in spite of the sheepish smile Sihan was giving her. "Your methods of discipline don't precede mine. And I've been given reason to believe that you have ulterior motives in this situation."

As Kyon watched with incredulous wide eyes as the lecture ensued, he did not notice Ryan until a large jacket was draped over his shoulders. But as he looked up at him, he was unsure of what kind of face he would make. It occurred to him that this could have been the plan all along, but… It rubbed him the wrong way regardless.

Someone assisted in helping Kyon off the bed, who considerately introduced himself as Karis.

Edwin watched his plan unravel beneath his feet and succumbed to outrage. "You're kidding me… Have you all forgotten? That your professor is doing illicit things with a student? That's sick!"

Ryan interjected with an unfriendly hand on his shoulder. "I'd say it's no more sick than what you tried to force Kyon to do just now… Not to mention the previous incidents, and the allegations we have from several students of your 'tasteless habits'."

The headmistress motioned for Ryan's assistance; he pulled his phone out and displayed various pictures that depicted Edwin at the bar, on several different occasions with his arm around all sorts of people; mostly young men. "It isn't our place to criticize what you do outside of school. But if it's reputation you're worried about, then I'm sure your father would be beside himself with the evidence we have of  _your_ illicit activities."

"You're due to supersede Intron, right?" asked Sihan, requiring no confirmation. "I wonder who'd blunder more. Our campus, or your company. Care to gamble?"

"Hold on…" Edwin was the one who was beside himself. He looked lost; hopeless, almost, in such a way that Kyon could  _almost_ feel bad for him… If he'd any ounce of sympathy for him. "You… Where did you get those pictures?! Were you stalking me?!"

"Not at all! But you frequent a spot where a close friend of mine works. You wouldn't recognize him; he doesn't stand out much. But Christoph was diligent about taking photos of your endeavors the minute I told him that I was worried about Kyon." he took his phone back once his point had been made, and smiled at the look of betrayal that crossed that man's face. "Oh, not to mention the photos we took on the way in here… You'd have to thank Logan for that, though."

Logan kept the phone in front of his face, and it became apparent that he wasn't  _just_ taking photos. He was recording. "Hey! Smile for the camera, dude. You look like you've seen a ghost."

He did see a ghost. He saw the ghost of a golden opportunity seething out from the corpse of his perfect plan, and he was defeated. "...I get it." he cursed under his breath, "I get it. What the fuck do you want. Money? Silence? My endorsement?"

"You would benefit from realizing that people are more complex than businesses." she decided "Rather than monetary gain, we want your cooperation. Unless you'd like these pictures leaked to every employee affiliated with your company  _including_ your father, then you'll stay away from Kyon and erase any evidence or pictures whatsoever that would involve him in your distasteful games."

"And from now on, you'll keep your nose out of what Lucaon and the other professors do." added Ryan. "Y'know, 'or else'."

The nail in the coffin was the up-close picture Logan took of the look on Edwin's face. He rose from the bed swiftly and pulled his arm back, seemingly about to go in for the kill until Sihan grabbed his enclosed fist and lowered it. "I'd think twice about starting a fight with none of your friends backing you up. As adults, we have to be a little passive, but that doesn't mean we're willing to let it slide when you put your hands on someone we care about."

"I'll have this confiscated for now." said Cecilia as she picked his phone up off the floor, "I'll have it returned to you as soon as I can ensure that any incriminating or disgusting evidence that you've withheld has been erased. You are dismissed."

He shoved Logan away as he walked past them all, leaving the hotel room with heavy steps. He slammed the door on his way out.

"Follow him. Make sure he doesn't make a scene." Cecilia turned to Logan, who quickly obliged and left the room.

Kyon realized that Ryan's hands were on his shoulders. "Are you alright?"

He sounded genuine, but Kyon could not help the cold reply that came from his bruised lips. "How could you…?"

He wasn't sure what he expected, but Ryan removed his hands quickly and took a step back; silent for a moment. "...You don't have to forgive me right away… I wouldn't."

Without warning, Cecilia played back the audio-recorded evidence so that a string of wanton moans disrupted the tense silence and spurned a burning redness throughout Kyon's entire body. He was suddenly hyper aware of the fact that he was wearing only an oversized jacket and remained very much covered in Lucaon's bitemarks and bruises. Yet, the only look she gave him was that of mild disappointment.

"...This is you, is not? Even so… I'm not sure what Edwin hoped to accomplish with this." she let the recording pay at the expense of everyone else in the room, although the only ones who seemed to mind it at all were Kyon and Karis— Perhaps the only two who valued dignity. "Was he convinced that these lewd noises alone were enough to prove anything? His company is in trouble if he is going to be the head of it one day."

The others were silent, too tense to even agree with her. She continued. "In any case, I've known the Selvior family for years and the success of my campus is partly due to the generous contributions that they've made. So as it is… I would like to avoid firing Lucaon, if possible."

"'If possible'...?" he repeated quietly, turning to face her while exposing as little of himself as possible for the sake of decency. "Ma'am, I… It's my fault, so if-"

"However," she interrupted "I can't just overlook the fact that you created a scandal that could have jeopardized the careers of everyone involved. So punishment will be in order."

Sihan was becoming increasingly nervous under her disapproving gaze, so much so that he nudged Karis and encouraged him to leave. Karis was hesitant, but eventually conceded with a nod; Kyon was in safer hands now, so it's not as though back-up was needed.

The headmistress approached Kyon and offered her jacket as well, apparently sympathetic to his predicament. He accepted them gratefully and took a seat on the sofa. But he couldn't hide the fact that he was holding his breath.

"Drop Lucaon's class." she said. "Ryan will help you. You'll have to substitute the credits, but it's a better alternative to expulsion, don't you think?"

He looked up at her with eyes that were opened wide and imagined that his mouth would have hung open dumbly if he let it.

For the first time, she gave him a small smile. "You may have an easier time in class with a different professor; one who isn't as unreasonable as Lucaon… But you will have to earn an honest grade next semester."

Kyon wasn't sure when he became able to breathe again but it felt… like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Even though he'd been reprimanded and lectured and found in a humiliating way.  _Is she serious?_

He wasn't being expelled and Lucaon wasn't being fired. That was more than he could have even hoped to ask for.

"However." her face became stern again, and she drew closer to the door as the hotel room was growing tiresome. "I expect you two to exercise some self control from now on… Never have sex on my campus again, do I make myself clear?"

He nodded immediately, and Cecilia accepted it as her opportunity to leave. Though the idea of having to withdraw from Lucaon's class saddened him somewhat, he was immensely relieved. "Does… Lucaon know about this…?"

Come to think of it, he couldn't quite recall how he'd left him, whether he'd said a proper goodbye as he'd intended or not. He wondered what Ryan had slipped into his drink.

Sihan assured him proudly, "Don't worry! I told Lucaon that we rescued you from a lewd situation."

His heart stopped. Ryan added happily, "And I may have sent him an address and the room number. Whoops!"

There was nothing even remotely apologetic about that 'whoops'. He was furious. "W-Wait- You're going to let him see me like this?! You can't!"

"Where are your clothes?" Ryan asked, looking around the room again in case he missed something.

"Where  _are_ his clothes…" Sihan conceded, "Don't worry, I'm sure we'll find them!"

But it was too late. Lucaon bursted through the door without a moment to spare. "Kyon!" He was filled with concern; it was evident in his demeanor, his expression, his voice.

Sihan returned from the bathroom, where his valiant search had led him. "I found your clothes, Kyon! Uh… Your shirt was shredded, though."

As he looked up, Ryan gave him a tentative pat on the shoulder. "See? Nothing to worry about."

"Don't touch him." Lucaon pushed him aside and knelt before the sofa, cupping Kyon's cheek gently. He examined the bruise.

Enraged, he turned briefly towards the two useless gawkers and gestured towards the door. "Out. Both of you; Get out."

Neither of them were particularly offended, but Sihan wasn't keen to his attitude. "Hey! Is that any way to speak to the guys who saved your b-"

Ryan urged him out the door. "We're leaving, we're leaving. But you owe us drinks."

When the door was shut tightly behind them, Lucaon resumed giving Kyon his full attention. He gently traced the corner of his lip, which was turning purple in contrast to the rest of his skin. And he was naturally pale, so of course it was noticeable… and all the more infuriating. "Are you alright? What happened."

"I'm alright." he assured, touching his hand gently with slightly trembling fingers. It felt too surreal to see Lucaon like this, with such unprecedented warmth in his eyes… directed at  _him._ "Edwin… Edwin attacked me. But thanks to Ryan… I'm fine."

Neither of those things were completely true, but the truth would have to wait. For now, he was just relieved to see him. It'd been a long day, in which he awoke believing that he might never again.

"I thought you weren't coming back." he gripped Kyon's fingers and clutched them tightly in his hand.

"I wasn't…" he lowered his head "I'm sorry. I just… Edwin was involved. I didn't want you to get hurt."

"Just stay." he held his hand close to his chest and wrapped his fist around it.

"Sir…" Kyon's face was flushing red all over again at the softness in his earnest request. "My clothes."

When Lucaon did back off, it was only to retrieve his clothes; or what was left of them. The only thing he'd truly been spared were his pants and shoes. "Your shirt." he held up a shredded rag of white fabric; they supposed it  _used_ to be a shirt.

"...It's fine." he sighed, "Ryan gave me his jacket, and Cecilia-"

"Just take mine." he offered, pulling his coat off while Kyon stumbled into his jeans. The sight of Lucaon unbuttoning his shirt took him by surprise. It wasn't something that he had the privilege of seeing often.

"Yours…? But…"  _it won't fit,_ he wanted to protest. Yet he couldn't.

Lucaon pulled his shirt off and covered himself with his coat; closing it sufficed to cover his abs and his chest, and was consequently disheartening considering how mesmerized Kyon had been. So much so that he was still staring when the shirt was thrown to him.

"Do you need help?"

The question stirred him back to his senses. He shook his head and immediately worked to button it up; his dignity was returned, at last, though the shirt consumed him. Kyon began to slip his shoes on, but was interrupted by a firm tug on his waist. "Wh-"

"Don't move; just lay here." he lifted Kyon up very briefly and laid him out upon the bed. When he found the snapped belt, he flung it across the room.

He did, but was somewhat wary of his intentions… or rather, confused. As Lucaon released him, he got off the bed and made his way towards the door. He was about to protest, but the lights went out.

He worried that Lucaon would leave him, until the bed shifted under the additional weight and he felt the presence of his professor hovering over him. The blanket was pulled out and bundled across their bodies as he wrapped his arms around Kyon and held him close.

He struggled to stay calm. His entire body was burning up and he thought he'd melt if he moved.

"From now on," Lucaon said "If you're being troubled, let me know."

Kyon was surprised, but nodded.

"I'll protect you." he promised, intertwining their fingers as he pressed a gentle kiss to the back of his neck.

Those sweet words should not have caught him off guard, but they did. He feared that his heart would burst from his chest, but eventually succumbed to the warmth of the body that held him and fell asleep.

* * *

Three glasses of champagne were slammed together joyously.

"See? I told you everything would work out in the end!" declared Sihan, who immediately took a proud sip from his drink.

Ryan looked and felt equally refreshed. "You were as white as a sheet when Cecilia stepped in, but I agree! Exams are over, Kyon is happy, neither of you were fired and  _I_ finally get my vacation next week."

"Karis and I have a date this weekend. Lucaon, you and Kyon should come!" he turned towards their naturally stoic friend, who was trying (in vain) to refrain from a smile, however slight it was.

"...I'll think about it." he relented, refilling his already empty glass.

Ryan leaned in closer to Sihan. "Did you see that?" he asked in a mock whisper, "He didn't reject you… Do you think he's sick?"

He could hear them and they knew that. Sihan incessantly prodded his shoulder anyway. "It could be a clone..?"

His hand was smacked away. "Cut it out. Do you want me to reject you?"

"Well, I  _do_ miss it-"

Ryan cut him off as he gestured towards the bar window, "Isn't that Logan? Oh, and he's with Kyon."

Lucaon huffed defiantly, unwilling to fall for this trick again until Sihan followed his gaze and agreed. "So that's his roommate, huh? They seem close."

"Don't they?"

Lucaon managed to spill his drink. He cursed, and those idiots laughed at him.

Ryan wiped a fake tear from his eye while he banged on the table repeatedly. "Christoph! A refill for our love-struck friend, please."

Christoph was diligent about refilling their drinks. Meanwhile, Sihan took Lucaon's shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry about it! You and Kyon are pretty much official now, right? You've got plenty of time to cherish him. You're not as old as Ryan."

Ryan kneed him under the table and smiled in satisfaction. "That's true, but don't forget… In the eyes of society, you're still a predator. So feast with a little more tact from now on, won't you?"

"Shut it." he eyed the window and rose from his seat, walking away from the table after depositing his portion of the bill.

Sihan called out to him. "Hey! Where ya going? Come back, we'll be nice!"

He was ignored, but Ryan wasn't concerned in the slightest. "I wouldn't worry about it. It's been a while, but I think it's just his youth showing."

Kyon was still there when Lucaon stepped outside, but he was alone. "Kyon."

He looked up in surprise as he was approached. "Sir…? What are you doing here?"

"...It's not important. Why are you standing out here?" he looked around for that roommate of his, though he'd more or less forgotten his face.

"Ah… Logan's inside buying snacks."

"I see."

What followed was uncomfortable silence. Both of them clearly having something to say, but neither of them able to get the words out.

Eventually, Lucaon took the initiative. "Let me take you out for dinner."

Kyon looked up, suddenly uninterested in his feet and asked sheepishly. "Pardon?"

"To celebrate your exams," he explained. Although that wasn't quite true. "I want to treat you."

For a moment, Kyon could only manage to stare at him; couldn't decide if he was really being asked out to dinner by this man… more especially in such a roundabout way. He hadn't even taken his exams that week.

Even so, he smiled. "I'd love to… I'll let Logan know."

However, before he could turn away to hunt him down, Lucaon grabbed his shoulder. "It's fine." he insisted, pulling him further down the busy street before the nuisance could reappear.

When Logan left the store with two full bags of snacks and not a soul to share them with… he went home with a big smile on his face. "More for me!"

* * *

Kyon was tense throughout the drive, unsure of how he was supposed to stay calm with this man beside him. He never knew that something so mundane would make his heart beat so quickly.

Furthermore, he had to wonder what exactly he was to Lucaon, now that they were no longer professor and student. Whether or not this could be considered a date also troubled him, and he suddenly worried that his fingers were shaking too much, so he distracted himself by admiring the interior of the car. It was sleek, black and utterly refined… Very far outside of the realm of what an average professor's salary would cover, he noticed. And he recalled that the headmistress had described Selvior's family as being wealthy.

He wondered what kind of people they were, why they were so rich and so on. It was a convenient thing to fixate himself on until he felt Lucaon's hand around his. "S-Sir?"

"Nobody's around." he pointed out.

Kyon supposed that it was true. The streets were relatively empty and regardless, the tinted windows provided a bit more privacy. In fact, knowing that they were completely alone together, and at liberty to be as affectionate as they wanted with one another… It was as enticing as it was scary.

His body would not stop shaking. The car slowed to a stop at the next red light. Kyon felt his nerves wavering ferociously, to the point where he thought he might burst, but he leaned over to Kiss Lucaon's lips anyway.

The red light ahead of them was by no means short, but in the time it took to change, they had their arms wrapped around one another. Lucaon was quick to deepen the kiss and touch his cheek affectionately, while Kyon feared that his body, which somehow still wanted more, was becoming corrupted beyond repair.

And even though they were forced to separate at the sound of an aggressive honk from behind, they were unspokenly satisfied, searching for a quiet place to park, and very much blessed with the most reckless type of love.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm done! Hooray... 
> 
> In case you are wondering about the status of Kyon or Lucaon's parents... I purposely left it vague. Whether they have passed or are still around is completely dependent on how gloomy you want certain elements of this story to be. I wasn't brave enough to pull the trigger myself since I wanted something sweet. 
> 
> May the Logan be ever in your favor... and let's just cross our fingers for a Ryan redemption arc, shall we? 
> 
> Have a good day!
> 
> 8/26/18 Edit: Apparently I dun fucked up & reposted the chapter. My bad. Fixed.


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